File setLastModified() method in Java with Examples

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The setLastModified() method is a part of File class.The function sets the last modified time of the file or directory. The function sets the last modified value of the file in milliseconds.
Function Signature:

public boolean setLastModified(long time)

Function Syntax:

file.setLastModified(time)

Parameters: This function accepts a long value as parameter which represents the new last modified time.
Return value: The function returns a boolean value which states whether the new last modified time is set or not.
Exception; This method throws following exceptions:

SecurityException if the function is not allowed write access to the file
IllegalArgumentException if the argument is negative

Below programs will illustrate the use of the setLastModified() function:
Example 1: We will try to change the last modified time of a existing file in f: directory.

Java

// Java program to demonstrate the
// use of setLastModified() function
 
import java.io.*;
 
public class solution {
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
 
        // try-catch block to handle exceptions
        try {
 
            // Create a file object
            File f = new File("f:\\program.txt");
 
            // The new last modified time
            long time = 100000000;
 
            // Check if the last modified time
            // can be set to new value
            if (f.setLastModified(time)) {
 
                // Display that the last modified time
                // is set as the function returned true
                System.out.println("Last modified time is set");
            }
            else {
 
                // Display that the last modified time
                // cannot be set as the function returned false
                System.out.println("Last modified time cannot be set");
            }
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            System.err.println(e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

Output:

Last modified time is set

Example 2: We will try to change the last modified time of a non existing file in f: directory.

Java

// Java program to demonstrate the
// use of setLastModified() function
 
import java.io.*;
 
public class solution {
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
 
        // try-catch block to handle exceptions
        try {
 
            // Create a file object
            File f = new File("f:\\program1.txt");
 
            // The new last modified time
            long time = 100000000;
 
            // Check if the last modified time
            // can be set to new value
            if (f.setLastModified(time)) {
 
                // Display that the last modified time
                // is set as the function returned true
                System.out.println("Last modified "
                                   + "time is set");
            }
            else {
 
                // Display that the last modified time
                // cannot be set as
                // the function returned false
                System.out.println("Last modified time"
                                   + " cannot be set");
            }
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            System.err.println(e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}