touch command in MacOS

The MacOS touch command allows users to create empty files or update file timestamps. This command is commonly used in scripting to create placeholder files or update the last modified timestamp of a file. It is a versatile tool that can help manage file metadata efficiently on MacOS systems.

touch Syntax:

touch [option] [file]

MacOS touch Options:

Option	Description
-a	Change the access time
-c	Do not create the file
-m	Change the modification time

touch Parameters:

Parameter	Description
file	Name of the file to be created or updated

How to use touch command:

Create a New Empty File

touch newfile.txt

Creates a new empty file named “newfile.txt”.

Update the Access and Modification Time of a File

touch -t 202201011200 file.txt

Changes the access and modification times of “file.txt” to January 1st, 2022, 12:00 PM.

Create Multiple New Files Simultaneously

touch file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

Creates multiple empty files “file1.txt”, “file2.txt”, and “file3.txt” at once.

Update Only the Access Time of a File

touch -a -t 202203041530 file.txt

Changes only the access time of “file.txt” to March 4th, 2023, 3:30 PM.

Create a New Directory

touch -c new_directory

Creates a new directory named “new_directory”.

Update Only the Modification Time of a File

touch -m -t 202205102100 file.txt

Changes only the modification time of “file.txt” to May 10th, 2022, 9:00 PM.

Update Both Access and Modification Times of a File

touch -t 202212312359.59 file.txt

Sets the access and modification times of “file.txt” to December 31st, 2022, 11:59:59 PM.

Create a New File in a Specific Path

touch /path/to/directory/newfile.txt

Creates a new empty file named “newfile.txt” in the specified directory path.

How do I use touch in MacOS?

To use the touch command in MacOS, execute the following command:

touch filename.txt

What does the touch command do in MacOS?

The touch command in MacOS is used to create empty files or update the access and modification times of existing files. It is commonly used to update timestamp information on files.

How can I create multiple files at once using touch in MacOS?

To create multiple files at once using touch in MacOS, you can specify the filenames as arguments to the touch command. For example:

touch file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

How do I change the access and modification times of a file with touch in MacOS?

To change the access and modification times of a file using touch in MacOS, you can specify the -t option followed by the desired timestamp in the format [[CC]YY]MMDDhhmm[.SS]. For example:

touch -t 202112251200.00 filename.txt

Can I update only the access time of a file with touch in MacOS?

Yes, you can update only the access time of a file using the -a option with the touch command in MacOS. For example:

touch -a filename.txt

How can I force the creation of a file with touch in MacOS?

To force the creation of a file with touch in MacOS, you can use the -c option. This will only create the file if it does not already exist. For example:

touch -c newfile.txt

Can I specify a custom timestamp when creating a new file with touch in MacOS?

Yes, you can specify a custom timestamp when creating a new file with touch in MacOS using the -t option followed by the desired timestamp. Make sure to use the correct format for the timestamp. For example:

touch -t 202112251200.00 newfile.txt

How do I update the timestamp of a file to the current time with touch in MacOS?

To update the timestamp of a file to the current time with touch in MacOS, you can simply execute the touch command followed by the filename. This will automatically update the access and modification times of the file to the current time. For example:

touch filename.txt

Applications of the touch command

Create an empty file
Update the access and modification timestamps of a file
Create multiple files at once with the same timestamp