Java - File delete() Method

---

---

Description

The Java File delete() method deletes the file or directory defined by the abstract path name. To delete a directory, the directory must be empty.

Declaration

Following is the declaration for java.io.File.delete() method −

public boolean delete()

Parameters

NA

Return Value

This method returns true if the file is successfully deleted, else false.

Exception

SecurityException − If SecurityManager.checkWrite(java.lang.String) method denies delete access to the file

Example 1

The following example shows the usage of Java File delete() method. We've created a File reference and then we've initialized it with File object using "test.txt" file in the current directory. Here this file is not present in the current directory. Thus using delete() method, we're getting result as false. Then we've created the file first using createNewFile() and then using delete() method, we're deleting the file and result returned is true.

package com.tutorialspoint;
import java.io.File;
public class FileDemo {
   public static void main(String[] args) {      
      File f = null;
      boolean bool = false;
      
      try {
         // create new file
         f = new File("test.txt");
         
         // tries to delete a non-existing file
         bool = f.delete();
         
         // prints the status
         System.out.println("File deleted: "+bool);
         
         // creates file in the system
         f.createNewFile();
         
         // createNewFile() is invoked
         System.out.println("createNewFile() method is invoked");
         
         // tries to delete the newly created file
         bool = f.delete();
         
         // print the status
         System.out.println("File deleted: "+bool);
            
      } catch(Exception e) {
         // if any error occurs
         e.printStackTrace();
      }
   }
}

Output

Let us compile and run the above program, this will produce the following result −

File deleted: false
createNewFile() method is invoked
File deleted: true

Example 2

The following example shows the usage of Java File delete() method. We've created a File reference and then we've initialized it with File object using "test" path in the current directory. Here this directory is not present in the current directory. Thus using delete() method, we're getting result as false. Then we've created the directory first using mkdir() and then using delete() method, we're deleting the directory and result returned is true.

package com.tutorialspoint;
import java.io.File;
public class FileDemo {
   public static void main(String[] args) {      
      File f = null;
      boolean bool = false;
      
      try {
         // create new file for test directory
         f = new File("test");

         // tries to delete a non-existing directory
         bool = f.delete();

         // prints the status
         System.out.println("Directory deleted: "+bool);

         // creates directory in the system
         f.mkdir();

         // createNewFile() is invoked
         System.out.println("mkdir() method is invoked");

         // tries to delete the newly created directory
         bool = f.delete();

         // print the status
         System.out.println("Directory deleted: "+bool);

      } catch(Exception e) {
         // if any error occurs
         e.printStackTrace();
      }
   }
}

Output

Let us compile and run the above program, this will produce the following result −

Directory deleted: false
mkdir() method is invoked
Directory deleted: true

Example 3

The following example shows the usage of Java File delete() method. We've created a File reference and then we've initialized it with File object using "F:/Test/Test2" path. Here this directory is not empty and contains a sample file. Thus using delete() method, we're getting result as false.

package com.tutorialspoint;
import java.io.File;
public class FileDemo {
   public static void main(String[] args) {      
      File f = null;
      boolean bool = false;

      try {
         // create new file for test directory
         f = new File("F:/Test/Test2");

         // tries to delete a non-empty directory
         bool = f.delete();

         // prints the status
         System.out.println("Directory deleted: "+bool);
      } catch(Exception e) {
         // if any error occurs
         e.printStackTrace();
      }
   }
}

Output

Let us compile and run the above program, this will produce the following result −

Directory deleted: false