new-name - a pathname designator other than a stream.

defaulted-new-name - a pathname

old-truename - a physical pathname.

new-truename - a physical pathname.

It is an error to specify a filename containing a wild component, for filespec to contain a nil component where the file system does not permit a nil component, or for the result of defaulting missing components of new-name from filespec to contain a nil component where the file system does not permit a nil component.

If new-name is a logical pathname, rename-file returns a logical pathname as its primary value.

rename-file returns three values if successful. The primary value, defaulted-new-name, is the resulting name which is composed of new-name with any missing components filled in by performing a merge-pathnames operation using filespec as the defaults. The secondary value, old-truename, is the truename of the file before it was renamed. The tertiary value, new-truename, is the truename of the file after it was renamed.

If the filespec designator is an open stream, then the stream itself and the file associated with it are affected (if the file system permits).

;; An example involving logical pathnames.
 (with-open-file (stream "sys:chemistry;lead.text"
                         :direction :output :if-exists :error)
   (princ "eureka" stream)
   (values (pathname stream) (truename stream)))
 #P"SYS:CHEMISTRY;LEAD.TEXT.NEWEST", #P"Q:>sys>chem>lead.text.1"
 (rename-file "sys:chemistry;lead.text" "gold.text")
 #P"SYS:CHEMISTRY;GOLD.TEXT.NEWEST",
   #P"Q:>sys>chem>lead.text.1",
   #P"Q:>sys>chem>gold.text.1"

An error of type file-error might be signaled if filespec is wild.