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CopyDirectory["dir1","dir2"]

copies the directory dir1 to dir2.

Details
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Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
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CopyDirectory

CopyDirectory["dir1","dir2"]

copies the directory dir1 to dir2.

Details

  • dir1 must already exist; dir2 must not.
  • CopyDirectory copies all the files in dir1 to dir2.
  • CopyDirectory sets the modification dates for dir2 and for all the files in it to be the same as those for dir1.
  • CopyDirectory returns the full name of the directory it copies to, and $Failed if it cannot complete the copy.
  • CopyDirectory also works with cloud objects.
  • Directories can be specified either using "path" or File["path"].

Examples

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Basic Examples  (1)

Copy a directory:

Wolfram Language code: dir = FileNameJoin[{$InstallationDirectory, "SystemFiles", "Kernel", "TextResources", "English"}]; cdir = FileNameJoin[{$TemporaryDirectory, "test123"}]; CopyDirectory[dir, cdir]

List of files in the directory:

Wolfram Language code: FileNames["*", cdir]//Column

Delete the directory:

Wolfram Language code: DeleteDirectory[cdir, DeleteContents -> True]

The directory is no longer there:

Wolfram Language code: FileNames["*", cdir]

Scope  (2)

Copy a directory specified as a File object::

Wolfram Language code: dir = FileNameJoin[{$InstallationDirectory, "SystemFiles", "Kernel", "TextResources", "English"}];
Wolfram Language code: cdir = FileNameJoin[{$TemporaryDirectory, "test123"}];
Wolfram Language code: CopyDirectory[File[dir], File[cdir]]

Copy a directory to a cloud object (upload it to the cloud):

Wolfram Language code: dir = FileNameJoin[{$InstallationDirectory, "SystemFiles", "Kernel", "TextResources", "English"}];
Wolfram Language code: obj = CopyDirectory[dir, CloudObject[]]

Use CloudObjects to list the entries in the cloud directory:

Wolfram Language code: Information[CloudObjects[obj], "DisplayName"]

Copy a cloud object directory to a local directory:

Wolfram Language code: dir2 = FileNameJoin[{$TemporaryDirectory, CreateUUID["wl-"]}]
Wolfram Language code: CopyDirectory[obj, dir2]

List the files copied from the cloud to the local directory:

Wolfram Language code: Map[FileNameTake, FileNames["*", dir2]]

Delete the local directory:

Wolfram Language code: DeleteDirectory[dir2, DeleteContents -> True]

Copy cloud object to another cloud object:

Wolfram Language code: obj2 = CopyDirectory[obj, CloudObject[]]

List of the cloud objects in the copied cloud directory:

Wolfram Language code: Information[CloudObjects[obj2], "Name"]

Delete both directories:

Wolfram Language code: DeleteDirectory[obj, DeleteContents -> True] DeleteDirectory[obj2, DeleteContents -> True]
Wolfram Research (1991), CopyDirectory, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CopyDirectory.html (updated 2016).

Text

Wolfram Research (1991), CopyDirectory, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CopyDirectory.html (updated 2016).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1991. "CopyDirectory." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2016. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CopyDirectory.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1991). CopyDirectory. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CopyDirectory.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_copydirectory, author="Wolfram Research", title="{CopyDirectory}", year="2016", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CopyDirectory.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_copydirectory, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={CopyDirectory}, year={2016}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CopyDirectory.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}