rename()
rename() — Renames a file or directory.
Built-in function of PHP 8.5. The manual lists it as available in PHP 4, PHP 5, PHP 7, PHP 8. This page is the reference card: signature, parameters and return value, plus the changelog and the example the manual provides.
What it does
Attempts to rename from to to, moving it between directories if necessary. If renaming a file and to exists, it will be overwritten. If renaming a directory and to exists, this function will emit a warning.
Signature
rename(string $from, string $to, ?resource $context = null): bool
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| $from | string | The old name. |
| $to | string | The new name. Note: On Windows, if to already exists, it must be writable. Otherwise rename() fails and issues E_WARNING. |
| $context | ?resource | A context stream resource. |
Return value
Returns true on success or false on failure.
Example
A runnable snippet:
rename("/tmp/tmp_file.txt", "/home/user/login/docs/my_file.txt");
See also
copy(), unlink(), move_uploaded_file()
All PHP 8.5 built-in functions
Reference card built from the PHP manual page rename() (PHP documentation, CC BY 3.0). The page is generated from the manual, so the wording of the parameter and return value text follows php.net.