Rename a file.
npm install @stdlib/fs-renameWe believe in a future in which the web is a preferred environment for numerical computation. To help realize this future, we've built stdlib. stdlib is a standard library, with an emphasis on numerical and scientific computation, written in JavaScript (and C) for execution in browsers and in Node.js. The library is fully decomposable, being architected in such a way that you can swap out and mix and match APIs and functionality to cater to your exact preferences and use cases. When you use stdlib, you can be absolutely certain that you are using the most thorough, rigorous, well-written, studied, documented, tested, measured, and high-quality code out there. To join us in bringing numerical computing to the web, get started by checking us out on GitHub, and please consider financially supporting stdlib. We greatly appreciate your continued support!
About stdlib...
[![NPM version][npm-image]][npm-url] [![Build Status][test-image]][test-url] [![Coverage Status][coverage-image]][coverage-url]
> Rename a file.
``bash`
npm install @stdlib/fs-rename
`javascript`
var rename = require( '@stdlib/fs-rename' );
#### rename( oldPath, newPath, clbk )
Asynchronously renames a file specified by oldPath to newPath.
`javascript
var join = require( 'path' ).join;
var oldPath = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'fixtures', 'file.txt' );
var newPath = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'fixtures', 'tmp.txt' );
rename( oldPath, newPath, done );
function done( error ) {
if ( error ) {
throw error;
}
}
`
#### rename.sync( oldPath, newPath )
Synchronously renames a file specified by oldPath to newPath.
`javascript
var join = require( 'path' ).join;
var oldPath = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'fixtures', 'file.txt' );
var newPath = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'fixtures', 'tmp.txt' );
var err = rename.sync( oldPath, newPath );
if ( err instanceof Error ) {
throw err;
}
`
- oldPath can specify a directory. In this case, newPath must either not exist, or it must specify an empty directory.
- oldPath should not name an ancestor directory of newPath.
- If oldPath points to the pathname of a file that is not a directory, newPath should not point to the pathname of a directory.
- Write access permission is required for both the directory containing oldPath and the directory containing newPath.
- If the link named by newPath exists, newPath is removed and oldPath is renamed to newPath. The link named by newPath will remain visible to other threads throughout the renaming operation and refer to either the file referred to by newPath or to the file referred to by oldPath before the operation began.
- If oldPath and newPath resolve to either the same existing directory entry or to different directory entries for the same existing file, no action is taken, and no error is returned.
- If oldPath points to a pathname of a symbolic link, the symbolic link is renamed. If the newPath points to a pathname of a symbolic link, the symbolic link is removed.
- If a link named by newPath exists and the file's link count becomes 0 when it is removed and no process has the file open, the space occupied by the file is freed and the file is no longer accessible. If one or more processes have the file open when the last link is removed, the link is removed before the function returns, but the removal of file contents is postponed until all references to the file are closed.
- The difference between rename.sync and [fs.rename()][node-fs] is that [fs.renameSync()][node-fs] will throw if an error is encountered (e.g., if given a non-existent path) and this API will return an error. Hence, the following anti-pattern
`javascript
var fs = require( 'fs' );
// Check for path existence to prevent an error being thrown...
if ( fs.existsSync( '/path/to/file.txt' ) ) {
fs.renameSync( '/path/to/file.txt', '/path/to/tmp.txt' );
}
`
can be replaced by an approach which addresses existence via error handling.
`javascript
var rename = require( '@stdlib/fs-rename' );
// Explicitly handle the error...
var err = rename.sync( '/path/to/file.txt', '/path/to/tmp.txt' );
if ( err instanceof Error ) {
// You choose what to do...
throw err;
}
`
`javascript
var join = require( 'path' ).join;
var readFile = require( '@stdlib/fs-read-file' ).sync;
var writeFile = require( '@stdlib/fs-write-file' ).sync;
var exists = require( '@stdlib/fs-exists' ).sync;
var unlink = require( '@stdlib/fs-unlink' ).sync;
var rename = require( '@stdlib/fs-rename' ).sync;
var src = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'fixtures', 'file.txt' );
var tmp = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'tmp.txt' );
var dest = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'foo.txt' );
// Create a temporary file:
writeFile( tmp, readFile( src ) );
// Confirm that the temporary file exists:
console.log( exists( tmp ) );
// => true
// Rename the temporary file:
rename( tmp, dest );
// Confirm that the renamed temporary file exists:
console.log( exists( dest ) );
// => true
// Remove the temporary file:
unlink( dest );
// Confirm that the temporary file no longer exists:
console.log( exists( dest ) );
// => false
`
- [@stdlib/fs-rename-cli][@stdlib/fs-rename-cli]: CLI package for use as a command-line utility.
- [@stdlib/fs-exists][@stdlib/fs/exists]: test whether a path exists on the filesystem.
- [@stdlib/fs-read-file][@stdlib/fs/read-file]: read the entire contents of a file.
- [@stdlib/fs-write-file][@stdlib/fs/write-file]: write data to a file.
- [@stdlib/fs-unlink][@stdlib/fs/unlink]: remove a directory entry.
*
This package is part of [stdlib][stdlib], a standard library for JavaScript and Node.js, with an emphasis on numerical and scientific computing. The library provides a collection of robust, high performance libraries for mathematics, statistics, streams, utilities, and more.
For more information on the project, filing bug reports and feature requests, and guidance on how to develop [stdlib][stdlib], see the main project [repository][stdlib].
#### Community
[![Chat][chat-image]][chat-url]
---
See [LICENSE][stdlib-license].
Copyright © 2016-2026. The Stdlib [Authors][stdlib-authors].
[@stdlib/fs-rename-cli]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/fs-rename-cli
[npm-image]: http://img.shields.io/npm/v/@stdlib/fs-rename.svg
[npm-url]: https://npmjs.org/package/@stdlib/fs-rename
[test-image]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/actions/workflows/test.yml/badge.svg?branch=v0.2.3
[test-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/actions/workflows/test.yml?query=branch:v0.2.3
[coverage-image]: https://img.shields.io/codecov/c/github/stdlib-js/fs-rename/main.svg
[coverage-url]: https://codecov.io/github/stdlib-js/fs-rename?branch=main
[chat-image]: https://img.shields.io/badge/zulip-join_chat-brightgreen.svg
[chat-url]: https://stdlib.zulipchat.com
[stdlib]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/stdlib
[stdlib-authors]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/stdlib/graphs/contributors
[cli-section]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename#cli
[cli-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/tree/cli
[@stdlib/fs-rename]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/tree/main
[umd]: https://github.com/umdjs/umd
[es-module]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Guide/Modules
[deno-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/tree/deno
[deno-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/blob/deno/README.md
[umd-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/tree/umd
[umd-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/blob/umd/README.md
[esm-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/tree/esm
[esm-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/blob/esm/README.md
[branches-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/blob/main/branches.md
[stdlib-license]: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/stdlib-js/fs-rename/main/LICENSE
[node-fs]: https://nodejs.org/api/fs.html
[@stdlib/fs/exists]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/fs-exists
[@stdlib/fs/read-file]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/fs-read-file
[@stdlib/fs/write-file]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/fs-write-file
[@stdlib/fs/unlink]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/fs-unlink