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# write(toFile:atomically:)

Writes the contents of the array to a file at a given path.

```
func write(toFile path: String, atomically useAuxiliaryFile: Bool) -> Bool
```

## Parameters

`path`

The path at which to write the contents of the array.

    If     `path`     contains a tilde (~) character, you must expand it with [`expandingTildeInPath`](/documentation/Foundation/NSString/expandingTildeInPath)     before invoking this method.

`useAuxiliaryFile`

If <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/true>, the array is written to an auxiliary file, and then the auxiliary file is renamed to `path`. If <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/false>, the array is written directly to `path`. The <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/true> option guarantees that `path`, if it exists at all, won’t be corrupted even if the system should crash during writing.

## Return Value

<doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/true> if the file is written successfully, otherwise <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/false>.

## Discussion

If the array’s contents are all property list objects (`NSString`, `NSData`, `NSArray`, or `NSDictionary` objects), the file written by this method can be used to initialize a new array with the class method [`arrayWithContentsOfFile:`](/documentation/Foundation/NSArray/arrayWithContentsOfFile:) or the instance method [`init(contentsOfFile:)`](/documentation/Foundation/NSArray/init(contentsOfFile:)). This method recursively validates that all the contained objects are property list objects before writing out the file, and returns <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/false> if all the objects are not property list objects, since the resultant file would not be a valid property list.

## See Also

[`init(contentsOfFile:)`](/documentation/Foundation/NSArray/init(contentsOfFile:))

Initializes a newly allocated array with the contents of the file specified by a given path.


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