How to move file to another directory in Java

This article shows how to move a file to another directory in the same file drive or remote server.

• Files.move – Move file in local system.
• JSch – Move file to remove server (SFTP)

1. Move file to another directory

This Java example uses NIO Files.move to move a file from to another directory in the same local drive.

FileMove.java

package com.favtuts.io.file;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.nio.file.Files;
import java.nio.file.Path;
import java.nio.file.Paths;

public class FileMove {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        Path source = Paths.get("/home/tvt/workspace/favtuts/newfolder/test1.txt");
        Path target = Paths.get("/home/tvt/workspace/favtuts/newfolder/test2.txt");

        try {

            // rename or move a file to other path
            // if target exists, throws FileAlreadyExistsException
            Files.move(source, target);

            // if target exists, replace it.
            // Files.move(source, target, StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING);

            // multiple CopyOption
            /*CopyOption[] options = { StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING,
                                StandardCopyOption.COPY_ATTRIBUTES,
                                LinkOption.NOFOLLOW_LINKS };

            Files.move(source, target, options);*/

        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
    
}

2. Move file to remote server directory

This Java example uses JSch library to move a file from the local system to another directory in a remote server, using SFTP.

P.S Assume the remote server is enabled SSH login (default port 22) using a password.

pom.xml

  <dependency>
      <groupId>com.jcraft</groupId>
      <artifactId>jsch</artifactId>
      <version>0.1.55</version>
  </dependency>

SFTPFileTransfer.java

package com.favtuts.io.howto;

import com.jcraft.jsch.Channel;
import com.jcraft.jsch.ChannelSftp;
import com.jcraft.jsch.JSch;
import com.jcraft.jsch.JSchException;
import com.jcraft.jsch.Session;
import com.jcraft.jsch.SftpException;

public class SFTPFileTransfer {

    private static final String REMOTE_HOST = "1.2.3.4";
    private static final String USERNAME = "";
    private static final String PASSWORD = "";
    private static final int REMOTE_PORT = 22;
    private static final int SESSION_TIMEOUT = 10000;
    private static final int CHANNEL_TIMEOUT = 5000;

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        
        // local
        String localFile = "/home/favtuts/hello.sh";

        // remote server
        String remoteFile = "/home/favtuts/test.sh";

        Session jschSession = null;

        try {
            JSch jsch = new JSch();
            jsch.setKnownHosts("/home/favtuts/.ssh/known_hosts");
            jschSession = jsch.getSession(USERNAME, REMOTE_HOST, REMOTE_PORT);

            // authenticate using private key
            // jsch.addIdentity("/home/favtuts/.ssh/id_rsa");

            // authenticate using password
            jschSession.setPassword(PASSWORD);

            // 10 seconds session timeout
            jschSession.connect(SESSION_TIMEOUT);

            Channel sftp = jschSession.openChannel("sftp");

            // 5 seconds timeout
            sftp.connect(CHANNEL_TIMEOUT);

            ChannelSftp channelSftp = (ChannelSftp) sftp;

            // transfer file from local to remote server
            channelSftp.put(localFile, remoteFile);

            // download file from remote server to local
            // channelSftp.get(remoteFile, localFile);

            channelSftp.exit();
        } catch (JSchException | SftpException e) {

            e.printStackTrace();

        } finally {
            if (jschSession != null) {
                jschSession.disconnect();
            }
        }
    }

}

Please visit this file Transfer using SFTP in Java (JSch).

Note

The NIO Files.move can’t move a file from the local system to a remote server directory.

Download Source Code

$ git clone https://github.com/favtuts/java-core-tutorials-examples

$ cd java-io

References

• Files JavaDoc
• Moving a File or Directory
• JSch
• Wikipedia SFTP
• How to rename or move a file in Java
• Move file in Java
• File Transfer using SFTP in Java (JSch)