# enumerator(atPath:) Returns a directory enumerator object that can be used to perform a deep enumeration of the directory at the specified path. ``` func enumerator(atPath path: String) -> FileManager.DirectoryEnumerator? ``` ## Parameters `path` The path of the directory to enumerate. ## Return Value A [`FileManager.DirectoryEnumerator`](/documentation/Foundation/FileManager/DirectoryEnumerator) object that enumerates the contents of the directory at `path`. ## Discussion If `path` is a filename, the method returns an enumerator object that enumerates no files—the first call to [`nextObject()`](/documentation/Foundation/NSEnumerator/nextObject()) will return `nil`. Because the enumeration is deep—that is, it lists the contents of all subdirectories—this enumerator object is useful for performing actions that involve large file-system subtrees. This method does not resolve symbolic links encountered in the traversal process, nor does it recurse through them if they point to a directory. This code fragment enumerates the subdirectories and files under a user’s `Documents` directory and processes all files with an extension of `.doc`: ```objc NSString *docsDir = [NSHomeDirectory() stringByAppendingPathComponent: @"Documents"]; NSFileManager *localFileManager=[[NSFileManager alloc] init]; NSDirectoryEnumerator *dirEnum =     [localFileManager enumeratorAtPath:docsDir]; NSString *file; while ((file = [dirEnum nextObject])) {     if ([[file pathExtension] isEqualToString: @"doc"]) { // process the document         [self scanDocument: [docsDir stringByAppendingPathComponent:file]];     } } ``` The [`FileManager.DirectoryEnumerator`](/documentation/Foundation/FileManager/DirectoryEnumerator) class has methods for obtaining the attributes of the existing path and of the parent directory and for skipping descendants of the existing path. ## See Also [`attributesOfItem(atPath:)`](/documentation/Foundation/FileManager/attributesOfItem(atPath:)) Returns the attributes of the item at a given path. [`currentDirectoryPath`](/documentation/Foundation/FileManager/currentDirectoryPath) The path to the program’s current directory. [`enumeratorAtURL:includingPropertiesForKeys:options:errorHandler:`](/documentation/Foundation/NSFileManager/enumeratorAtURL:includingPropertiesForKeys:options:errorHandler:) Returns a directory enumerator object that can be used to perform a deep enumeration of the directory at the specified URL. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)