How to create directory using Swift code (NSFileManager)

Question

I'm having some trouble with converting Objective-C code to create a directory for Swift.

Objective-C:

    NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
    NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0]; // Get documents folder
    NSString *dataPath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"/MyFolder"];

    if (![[NSFileManager defaultManager] fileExistsAtPath:dataPath])
    [[NSFileManager defaultManager] createDirectoryAtPath:dataPath withIntermediateDirectories:NO attributes:nil error:&error];

Solution 1

Swift 5.0

let paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(.documentDirectory, .userDomainMask, true)
let documentsDirectory = paths[0]
let docURL = URL(string: documentsDirectory)!
let dataPath = docURL.appendingPathComponent("MyFolder")
if !FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: dataPath.path) {
    do {
        try FileManager.default.createDirectory(atPath: dataPath.path, withIntermediateDirectories: true, attributes: nil)
    } catch {
        print(error.localizedDescription)
    }
}

Swift 4.0

let paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(FileManager.SearchPathDirectory.documentDirectory, FileManager.SearchPathDomainMask.userDomainMask, true)
let documentsDirectory: AnyObject = paths[0] as AnyObject
let dataPath = documentsDirectory.appendingPathComponent("MyFolder")!
    
do {
    try FileManager.default.createDirectory(atPath: dataPath.absoluteString, withIntermediateDirectories: false, attributes: nil)
} catch let error as NSError {
    print(error.localizedDescription)
}

Swift 3.0

let paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(FileManager.SearchPathDirectory.documentDirectory, FileManager.SearchPathDomainMask.userDomainMask, true)
let documentsDirectory: AnyObject = paths[0]
let dataPath = documentsDirectory.appendingPathComponent("MyFolder")!
        
do {
    try FileManager.default.createDirectory(atPath: dataPath.absoluteString, withIntermediateDirectories: false, attributes: nil)
} catch let error as NSError {
    print(error.localizedDescription)
}

Swift 2.1

You can create directory using below method:

let paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSSearchPathDirectory.DocumentDirectory, NSSearchPathDomainMask.UserDomainMask, true)
let documentsDirectory: AnyObject = paths[0]
let dataPath = documentsDirectory.stringByAppendingPathComponent("MyFolder")

do {
    try NSFileManager.defaultManager().createDirectoryAtPath(dataPath, withIntermediateDirectories: false, attributes: nil)
} catch let error as NSError {
    print(error.localizedDescription)
}

Solution 2

None of @Kampai and @Crashalot's answers worked for me.

The .absoluteString makes a url with file:// prefix and it cause exception while creating directory. Instead I've used .path method.

The fixed code for Swift 3

let documentsDirectory = FileManager.default.urls(for: .documentDirectory, in: .userDomainMask).first!
let dataPath = documentsDirectory.appendingPathComponent("MyFolder")

do {
    try FileManager.default.createDirectory(atPath: dataPath.path, withIntermediateDirectories: true, attributes: nil)
} catch let error as NSError {
    print("Error creating directory: \(error.localizedDescription)")
}

Solution 3

The accepted answer no longer compiles as the line with appendingPathComponent generates an error.

Here's a Swift 3 version that compiles:

fileprivate func createDir(dirName: String) {
    let documentsDirectory = FileManager.default.urls(for: .documentDirectory, in: .userDomainMask)[0]
    let dataPath = documentsDirectory.appendingPathComponent(dirName)

    do {
        try FileManager.default.createDirectory(atPath: dataPath.absoluteString, withIntermediateDirectories: false, attributes: nil)
    } catch let error as NSError {
        printError("Error creating directory: \(error.localizedDescription)")
    }
}

Solution 4

Swift 4 :

NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains returns an array of strings, not URLs.

appendingPathComponent to string makes app crash with the message -[NSPathStore2 URLByAppendingPathComponent:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance

Here's a Swift 4 version that compiles:

    let paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(FileManager.SearchPathDirectory.documentDirectory, FileManager.SearchPathDomainMask.userDomainMask, true)
    if let pathURL = URL.init(string: paths[0]) {
        let dataURL = pathURL.appendingPathComponent("MyFolder")
        do {
            try FileManager.default.createDirectory(atPath: dataURL.absoluteString, withIntermediateDirectories: true, attributes: nil)
        } catch let error as NSError {
            print(error.localizedDescription);
        }
    }
    else {
        print("Error in getting path URL");
    }

Solution 5

Simpler solution:

"~/Desktop/demo".expand.createDir()//Now you have a folder named demo on your desk

extension String{
    func createDir(_ path:String){
        do {
            try FileManager.default.createDirectory(atPath: path, withIntermediateDirectories: true, attributes: nil)
        } catch let error as NSError {
            NSLog("Unable to create directory \(error.debugDescription)")
        }
    }
    var expand:String {return NSString(string: self).expandingTildeInPath}
}

View more solutions

Comments

[Siamaster]

As of Swift 2: do { try fileManager.createDirectoryAtPath(outputPath, withIntermediateDirectories: false, attributes: nil) } catch let error as NSError { print(error.localizedDescription); }

[Jack]

Kudos to you, I've been trying to figure this out for a day!

[thacilima]

Thanks, .path was the missing part for me

[Suhail Parvez]

I did try this on an iPhone but i could not find the created folder in the device. Have updated the device to iOS 11, which has the files App.

[Arpit B Parekh]

While creaing folder, do we neeeed to check, whether folder exists or not ?

[Mehdi Hosseinzadeh]

No, It's not needed because we send withIntermediateDirectories: true. If folder created/exists it will return true anyway. You can read more here: developer.apple.com/documentation/foundation/filemanager/…

[Dani]

"myfolder"? Do you mean "myfile"?

[Dani]

I get an error that I don't have persmission to access the file after creating it with this code

[Kampai]

@DanielSpringer: Please read the question, the answer is about to create a directory using Swift. So this code will not work for you, as you are trying to create file using createDirectory() function.

[Dani]

@Kampai yes I see that this answer is to the question. I had a similar/related question.

[Kampai]

@DanielSpringer: Please let me know your queries, I am here to help you.

[Dani]

@Kampai I’m trying to read the created file using above code but get “permission denied” error. How do I create a file, so that attempting to write to it doesn’t give “no such file” error?

[Kampai]

@DanielSpringer: Can you please provide, Xcode version and iOS version?

[SafeFastExpressive]

@Kampai Upvoted just because you implemented error checking/reporting. Kudos!

[Bogdan Razvan]

Use relativePath instead of absoluteString

[Sergey]

Just path instead of absoluteString.

[johnrubythecat]

let docURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: documentsDirectory) if you want to append a file into the path. replace 'string' with 'fileURLWithPath' or you get a URL scheme error. Otherwise, nice code, thank you.