ek9_move_file

Answers first: status (applied | ready | conflicts), written and edits[{file, newFile, type:move}] - a pure file-system relocation of any workspace file, contents untouched.

Category: Editor · Compare: IntelliJ "Refactor → Move" (file-level) / shell mv

When to use it

You want a file somewhere else or under another name - one call with oldPath + newPath; any file kind, contents untouched. A .ek9 file keeps its module identity (the 'defines module' line, not the directory).

When not to use it

Moving a CONSTRUCT between files (FQ-name change + reference rewriting), not a whole file - use ek9_move_construct (symbol:'Name', targetFile).
A .ek9-only rename that must refuse a non-.ek9 destination - ek9_rename_file is the same move with that extension check (it performs the rename).
You want a copy + delete (distinct from a move — loses inode identity / VCS history) — use ek9_write_file + ek9_delete_file.
The file should be REMOVED, not moved — use ek9_delete_file.

Details

For .ek9 files the 'defines module' line (not the directory) sets module identity, so a move never changes fully-qualified names or breaks references. HARD dev/ exit guard, no override: a .ek9 file leaving a dev/ directory for production is refused (conflict kind 'dev-exit-contains-tests') when it contains @Test or assert*; a marker-free dev/ file is promoted with a 'dev-exit-promotion' advisory. Directory moves are out of scope, and a destination collision (overwrite:false) or missing parent (createIntermediateDirs:false) returns status:error, not conflicts.

Arguments

Argument	Type	Required	What it is
`createIntermediateDirs`	boolean		When true (default), missing parent directories at the destination are created (mkdir -p). When false, the tool errors if the destination's parent doesn't exist.
`newPath`	string	yes	Destination: may be in a different directory; must not exist unless overwrite:true. Workspace-relative (preferred) or absolute inside the workspace.
`oldPath`	string	yes	File path: workspace-relative (preferred) or absolute inside the workspace. The file as it is now; must exist.
`overwrite`	boolean		When false (default), the tool errors if a file already exists at newPath. When true, the existing file is replaced (its prior content is lost). Use cautiously.

It also takes the arguments every tool takes.

Recorded calls

Real calls, recorded against small projects and checked on every build - a changed answer fails it.

Move non ek9 file apply

Request

{
  "newPath" : "docs/NOTES.txt",
  "oldPath" : "NOTES.txt"
}

Response

{
  "conflicts" : [ ],
  "edits" : [ {
    "file" : "NOTES.txt",
    "newFile" : "docs/NOTES.txt",
    "type" : "move"
  } ],
  "meta" : {
    "serverMs" : "<timing>"
  },
  "risk" : {
    "crossesModuleBoundary" : false,
    "estimatedSeverity" : "moderate",
    "fileCount" : 2,
    "lineCount" : 0,
    "touchesPublicApi" : false,
    "touchesTests" : false
  },
  "status" : "applied",
  "summary" : "Moved NOTES.txt → docs/NOTES.txt",
  "workspaceHash" : "<workspace-hash>",
  "wouldBeDiagnostics" : [ ],
  "written" : true
}

Dev exit with tests conflict