---
title: "read(fromFileURL:options:documentAttributes:)"
framework: foundation
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "foundation/nsmutableattributedstring/read(fromfileurl:options:documentattributes:)"
---

# read(fromFileURL:options:documentAttributes:)

Sets the contents of the receiver from the file at the given URL.

## Declaration

```swift
func read(fromFileURL url: URL, options opts: [AnyHashable : Any] = [:], documentAttributes dict: AutoreleasingUnsafeMutablePointer<NSDictionary?>?) throws
```

## Parameters

- `url`: The location of the file providing text data.
- `opts`: The option keys for importing the document. For a list of possible values, see “Option keys for importing documents” in doc://com.apple.foundation/documentation/Foundation/NSAttributedString.
- `dict`: On return, contains the document attributes. For a list of possible values, see “Document Attributes” in doc://com.apple.foundation/documentation/Foundation/NSAttributedString.

## Discussion

Discussion For RTF formatted files, the contents of the file are appended to the previous string instead of replacing the previous string. note: In Swift, this method returns Void and is marked with the throws keyword to indicate that it throws an error in cases of failure. You call this method in a try expression and handle any errors in the catch clauses of a do statement, as described in Error Handling in The Swift Programming Language and About Imported Cocoa Error Parameters.

## See Also

### Deprecated

- [read(from:options:documentAttributes:)](foundation/nsmutableattributedstring/read(from:options:documentattributes:)-967j7.md)
- [read(from:options:documentAttributes:)](foundation/nsmutableattributedstring/read(from:options:documentattributes:)-85y1d.md)