---
title: openDocument
framework: swiftui
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Property
path: swiftui/environmentvalues/opendocument
---

# openDocument

An action in the environment that presents an existing document.

## Declaration

```swift
var openDocument: OpenDocumentAction { get }
```

## Discussion

Discussion Use the openDocument environment value to get the instance of the OpenDocumentAction structure for a given Environment. Then call the instance to present an existing document. You call the instance directly because it defines a callAsFunction(at:) method that Swift calls when you call the instance. For example, you can create a button that opens the document at the specified URL: struct OpenDocumentButton: View {     var url: URL     @Environment(\.openDocument) private var openDocument

var body: some View {         Button(url.deletingPathExtension().lastPathComponent) {             Task {                 do {                     try await openDocument(at: url)                 } catch {                     // Handle error                 }             }         }     } } The above example uses a do-catch statement to handle any errors that the open document action might throw. It also places the action inside a task and awaits the result because the action operates asynchronously. To present an existing document, your app must define a DocumentGroup that handles the content type of the specified file. For a document that’s already open, the system brings the existing window to the front. Otherwise, the system opens a new window.

## See Also

### Opening a document programmatically

- [newDocument](swiftui/environmentvalues/newdocument.md)
- [NewDocumentAction](swiftui/newdocumentaction.md)
- [OpenDocumentAction](swiftui/opendocumentaction.md)