Delete a File Using Java

Last Updated : 19 Sep, 2022

Java provides methods to delete files using java programs. On contrary to normal delete operations in any operating system, files being deleted using the java program are deleted permanently without being moved to the trash/recycle bin.

Methods used to delete a file in Java:

1. Using java.io.File.delete() function: Deletes the file or directory denoted by this abstract pathname.

Syntax:

public boolean delete()

Returns: It returns true if and only if the file or the directory is successfully deleted; false otherwise

Java

// Java program to delete a file
import java.io.*;
 
public class Test {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        File file
            = new File("C:\\Users\\Mayank\\Desktop\\1.txt");
 
        if (file.delete()) {
            System.out.println("File deleted successfully");
        }
        else {
            System.out.println("Failed to delete the file");
        }
    }
}

Output:

File deleted successfully

2. Using java.nio.file.files.deleteifexists(Path p) method defined in Files package: This method deletes a file if it exists. It also deletes a directory mentioned in the path only if the directory is empty.

Syntax:

public static boolean deleteIfExists(Path path) throws IOException

Parameters: path – the path to the file to delete

Returns: It returns true if the file was deleted by this method; false if it could not be deleted because it did not exist.

Throws:

DirectoryNotEmptyException – if the file is a directory and could not otherwise be deleted because the directory is not empty (optional specific exception)
IOException – if an I/O error occurs.

Java

// Java program to demonstrate delete using Files class
 
import java.io.IOException;
import java.nio.file.*;
 
public class Test {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        try {
            Files.deleteIfExists(
                Paths.get("C:\\Users\\Mayank\\Desktop\\
            445.txt"));
        }
        catch (NoSuchFileException e) {
            System.out.println(
                "No such file/directory exists");
        }
        catch (DirectoryNotEmptyException e) {
            System.out.println("Directory is not empty.");
        }
        catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println("Invalid permissions.");
        }
 
        System.out.println("Deletion successful.");
    }
}