# std::filesystem::directory_entry::assign

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< cpp‎ | filesystem‎ | directory entry

void assign( const std::filesystem::path& p ); void assign( const std::filesystem::path& p, std::error_code& ec ); |  | (since C++17)

Assigns new content to the directory entry object. Sets the path to `p` and calls `refresh` to update the cached attributes. If an error occurs, the values of the cached attributes are unspecified.

This function does not commit any changes to the filesystem.

### Parameters

p | - | path to the filesystem object to which the directory entry will refer
ec | - | out-parameter for error reporting in the non-throwing overload

### Return value

(none)

### Exceptions

The overload that does not take a std::error_code& parameter throws `filesystem::filesystem_error` on underlying OS API errors, constructed with `p` as the first path argument and the OS error code as the error code argument. The overload taking a std::error_code& parameter sets it to the OS API error code if an OS API call fails, and executes ec.clear() if no errors occur. Any overload not marked `noexcept` may throw std::bad_alloc if memory allocation fails.

### Example

Run this code

    #include <filesystem>
    #include <fstream>
    #include <iostream>

    void print_entry_info(const std::filesystem::directory_entry& entry)
    {
        std::cout << "the entry " << entry;
        if (not entry.exists()) {
            std::cout << " does not exists on the file system\n";
            return;
        }
        std::cout << " is ";
        if (entry.is_directory()) std::cout << "a directory\n";
        if (entry.is_regular_file()) std::cout << "a regular file\n";
        /*...*/
    }

    int main()
    {
        std::filesystem::current_path(std::filesystem::temp_directory_path());

        std::filesystem::directory_entry entry{std::filesystem::current_path()};
        print_entry_info(entry);

        std::filesystem::path name{"cppreference.html"};
        std::ofstream{name} << "C++";

        std::cout << "entry.assign();\n";
        entry.assign(entry/name);
        print_entry_info(entry);

        std::cout << "remove(entry);\n";
        std::filesystem::remove(entry);
        print_entry_info(entry); // the entry still contains old "state"

        std::cout << "entry.assign();\n";
        entry.assign(entry); // or just call entry.refresh()
        print_entry_info(entry);
    }

Possible output:

    the entry "/tmp" is a directory
    entry.assign();
    the entry "/tmp/cppreference.html" is a regular file
    remove(entry);
    the entry "/tmp/cppreference.html" is a regular file
    entry.assign();
    the entry "/tmp/cppreference.html" does not exists on the file system

### See also

operator= | assigns contents (public member function)

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