# Interface FileVisitor<T>

Type Parameters:
  `T` - the type of file/directory

All Known Implementing Classes:
  `SimpleFileVisitor`

public interface FileVisitor<T>
A visitor of files. An implementation of this interface is provided to the `Files.walkFileTree` methods to visit each file in a file tree.

Usage Examples: Suppose we want to delete a file tree. In that case, each directory should be deleted after the entries in the directory are deleted.

        Path start = ...
        Files.walkFileTree(start, new SimpleFileVisitor<Path>() {
            @Override
            public FileVisitResult visitFile(Path file, BasicFileAttributes attrs)
                throws IOException
            {
                Files.delete(file);
                return FileVisitResult.CONTINUE;
            }
            @Override
            public FileVisitResult postVisitDirectory(Path dir, IOException e)
                throws IOException
            {
                if (e == null) {
                    Files.delete(dir);
                    return FileVisitResult.CONTINUE;
                } else {
                    // directory iteration failed
                    throw e;
                }
            }
        });

Furthermore, suppose we want to copy a file tree to a target location. In that case, symbolic links should be followed and the target directory should be created before the entries in the directory are copied.

        final Path source = ...
        final Path target = ...

        Files.walkFileTree(source, EnumSet.of(FileVisitOption.FOLLOW_LINKS), Integer.MAX_VALUE,
            new SimpleFileVisitor<Path>() {
                @Override
                public FileVisitResult preVisitDirectory(Path dir, BasicFileAttributes attrs)
                    throws IOException
                {
                    Path targetdir = target.resolve(source.relativize(dir));
                    try {
                        Files.copy(dir, targetdir);
                    } catch (FileAlreadyExistsException e) {
                         if (!Files.isDirectory(targetdir))
                             throw e;
                    }
                    return CONTINUE;
                }
                @Override
                public FileVisitResult visitFile(Path file, BasicFileAttributes attrs)
                    throws IOException
                {
                    Files.copy(file, target.resolve(source.relativize(file)));
                    return CONTINUE;
                }
            });

Since:
  1.7

## Method Summary

Modifier and Type
Method
Description
`FileVisitResult`
`postVisitDirectory(T dir, IOException exc)`
Invoked for a directory after entries in the directory, and all of their descendants, have been visited.
`FileVisitResult`
`preVisitDirectory(T dir, BasicFileAttributes attrs)`
Invoked for a directory before entries in the directory are visited.
`FileVisitResult`
`visitFile(T file, BasicFileAttributes attrs)`
Invoked for a file in a directory.
`FileVisitResult`
`visitFileFailed(T file, IOException exc)`
Invoked for a file that could not be visited.

## Method Details

### preVisitDirectory

FileVisitResult preVisitDirectory(T dir, BasicFileAttributes attrs) throws IOException
Invoked for a directory before entries in the directory are visited.

If this method returns `CONTINUE`, then entries in the directory are visited. If this method returns `SKIP_SUBTREE` or `SKIP_SIBLINGS` then entries in the directory (and any descendants) will not be visited.

Parameters:
  `dir` - a reference to the directory
  `attrs` - the directory's basic attributes
Returns:
  the visit result
Throws:
  `IOException` - if an I/O error occurs

### visitFile

FileVisitResult visitFile(T file, BasicFileAttributes attrs) throws IOException
Invoked for a file in a directory.

Parameters:
  `file` - a reference to the file
  `attrs` - the file's basic attributes
Returns:
  the visit result
Throws:
  `IOException` - if an I/O error occurs

### visitFileFailed

FileVisitResult visitFileFailed(T file, IOException exc) throws IOException
Invoked for a file that could not be visited. This method is invoked if the file's attributes could not be read, the file is a directory that could not be opened, and other reasons.

Parameters:
  `file` - a reference to the file
  `exc` - the I/O exception that prevented the file from being visited
Returns:
  the visit result
Throws:
  `IOException` - if an I/O error occurs

### postVisitDirectory

FileVisitResult postVisitDirectory(T dir, IOException exc) throws IOException
Invoked for a directory after entries in the directory, and all of their descendants, have been visited. This method is also invoked when iteration of the directory completes prematurely (by a `visitFile` method returning `SKIP_SIBLINGS`, or an I/O error when iterating over the directory).

Parameters:
  `dir` - a reference to the directory
  `exc` - `null` if the iteration of the directory completes without an error; otherwise the I/O exception that caused the iteration of the directory to complete prematurely
Returns:
  the visit result
Throws:
  `IOException` - if an I/O error occurs