rename.html

IEEE 1003.1-2003, Single Unix Specification v3

<dt>[EROFS]</dt>

<dd><sup>[<a href="javascript:open_code('CX')">CX</a>]</sup> <img src="../images/opt-start.gif" alt="[Option Start]" border="0">
The requested operation requires writing in a directory on a read-only file system. <img src="../images/opt-end.gif" alt=
"[Option End]" border="0"></dd>

<dt>[EXDEV]</dt>

<dd><sup>[<a href="javascript:open_code('CX')">CX</a>]</sup> <img src="../images/opt-start.gif" alt="[Option Start]" border="0">
The links named by <i>new</i> and <i>old</i> are on different file systems and the implementation does not support links between
file systems. <img src="../images/opt-end.gif" alt="[Option End]" border="0"></dd>
</dl>

<p>The <i>rename</i>() function may fail if:</p>

<dl compact>
<dt>[EBUSY]</dt>

<dd><sup>[<a href="javascript:open_code('XSI')">XSI</a>]</sup> <img src="../images/opt-start.gif" alt="[Option Start]" border="0">
The file named by the <i>old</i> or <i>new</i> arguments is a named STREAM. <img src="../images/opt-end.gif" alt="[Option End]"
border="0"></dd>

<dt>[ELOOP]</dt>

<dd><sup>[<a href="javascript:open_code('CX')">CX</a>]</sup> <img src="../images/opt-start.gif" alt="[Option Start]" border="0">
More than {SYMLOOP_MAX} symbolic links were encountered during resolution of the <i>path</i> argument. <img src=
"../images/opt-end.gif" alt="[Option End]" border="0"></dd>

<dt>[ENAMETOOLONG]</dt>

<dd><sup>[<a href="javascript:open_code('CX')">CX</a>]</sup> <img src="../images/opt-start.gif" alt="[Option Start]" border=
"0"><br>
As a result of encountering a symbolic link in resolution of the <i>path</i> argument, the length of the substituted pathname
string exceeded {PATH_MAX}. <img src="../images/opt-end.gif" alt="[Option End]" border="0"></dd>

<dt>[ETXTBSY]</dt>

<dd><sup>[<a href="javascript:open_code('CX')">CX</a>]</sup> <img src="../images/opt-start.gif" alt="[Option Start]" border="0">
The file to be renamed is a pure procedure (shared text) file that is being executed. <img src="../images/opt-end.gif" alt=
"[Option End]" border="0"></dd>
</dl>
</blockquote>

<hr>
<div class="box"><em>The following sections are informative.</em></div>

<h4><a name="tag_03_608_06"></a>EXAMPLES</h4>

<blockquote>
<h5><a name="tag_03_608_06_01"></a>Renaming a File</h5>

<p>The following example shows how to rename a file named <b>/home/cnd/mod1</b> to <b>/home/cnd/mod2</b>.</p>

<pre>
<tt>#include &lt;stdio.h&gt;
<br>
int status;
...
status = rename("/home/cnd/mod1", "/home/cnd/mod2");
</tt>
</pre>
</blockquote>

<h4><a name="tag_03_608_07"></a>APPLICATION USAGE</h4>

<blockquote>
<p>Some implementations mark for update the <i>st_ctime</i> field of renamed files and some do not. Applications which make use of
the <i>st_ctime</i> field may behave differently with respect to renamed files unless they are designed to allow for either
behavior.</p>
</blockquote>

<h4><a name="tag_03_608_08"></a>RATIONALE</h4>

<blockquote>
<p>This <i>rename</i>() function is equivalent for regular files to that defined by the ISO&nbsp;C standard. Its inclusion here
expands that definition to include actions on directories and specifies behavior when the <i>new</i> parameter names a file that
already exists. That specification requires that the action of the function be atomic.</p>

<p>One of the reasons for introducing this function was to have a means of renaming directories while permitting implementations to
prohibit the use of <a href="../functions/link.html"><i>link</i>()</a> and <a href="../functions/unlink.html"><i>unlink</i>()</a>
with directories, thus constraining links to directories to those made by <a href="../functions/mkdir.html"><i>mkdir</i>()</a>.</p>

<p>The specification that if <i>old</i> and <i>new</i> refer to the same file is intended to guarantee that:</p>

<pre>
<tt>rename("x", "x");
</tt>
</pre>

<p>does not remove the file.</p>

<p>Renaming dot or dot-dot is prohibited in order to prevent cyclical file system paths.</p>

<p>See also the descriptions of [ENOTEMPTY] and [ENAMETOOLONG] in <a href="rmdir.html"><i>rmdir</i>()</a> and [EBUSY] in <a href=
"unlink.html"><i>unlink</i>()</a> . For a discussion of [EXDEV], see <a href="link.html"><i>link</i>()</a> .</p>
</blockquote>

<h4><a name="tag_03_608_09"></a>FUTURE DIRECTIONS</h4>

<blockquote>
<p>None.</p>
</blockquote>

<h4><a name="tag_03_608_10"></a>SEE ALSO</h4>

<blockquote>
<p><a href="link.html"><i>link</i>()</a> , <a href="rmdir.html"><i>rmdir</i>()</a> , <a href="symlink.html"><i>symlink</i>()</a> ,
<a href="unlink.html"><i>unlink</i>()</a> , the Base Definitions volume of IEEE&nbsp;Std&nbsp;1003.1-2001, <a href=
"../basedefs/stdio.h.html"><i>&lt;stdio.h&gt;</i></a></p>
</blockquote>

<h4><a name="tag_03_608_11"></a>CHANGE HISTORY</h4>

<blockquote>
<p>First released in Issue 3. Included for alignment with the POSIX.1-1988 standard.</p>
</blockquote>

<h4><a name="tag_03_608_12"></a>Issue 5</h4>

<blockquote>
<p>The [EBUSY] error is added to the &quot;may fail&quot; part of the ERRORS section.</p>
</blockquote>

<h4><a name="tag_03_608_13"></a>Issue 6</h4>

<blockquote>
<p>Extensions beyond the ISO&nbsp;C standard are marked.</p>

<p>The following new requirements on POSIX implementations derive from alignment with the Single UNIX Specification:</p>

<ul>
<li>
<p>The [EIO] mandatory error condition is added.</p>
</li>

<li>
<p>The [ELOOP] mandatory error condition is added.</p>
</li>

<li>
<p>A second [ENAMETOOLONG] is added as an optional error condition.</p>
</li>

<li>
<p>The [ETXTBSY] optional error condition is added.</p>
</li>
</ul>

<p>The following changes were made to align with the IEEE&nbsp;P1003.1a draft standard:</p>

<ul>
<li>
<p>Details are added regarding the treatment of symbolic links.</p>
</li>

<li>
<p>The [ELOOP] optional error condition is added.</p>
</li>
</ul>

<p>The DESCRIPTION is updated to avoid use of the term &quot;must&quot; for application requirements.</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="box"><em>End of informative text.</em></div>

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