dirname(3G)							   dirname(3G)

NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     dirname - report the parent directory name	of a file pathname

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     cc	[flag <b>...] file	... -lgen [library <b>...]

     #include <libgen.h>
     char *dirname (char *path);

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     Given a pointer to	a null-terminated character string that	contains a
     filesystem	pathname, dirname returns a pointer to a static	constant
     string that is the	parent directory of that file.	In doing this, it
     sometimes places a	null byte in the pathname after	the next to last
     element, so the content of	path must be disposable.  Trailing ``/''
     characters	in the path are	not counted as part of the path.

     If	path or	*path is zero, a pointer to a static constant ``.'' is
     returned.

     dirname and basename together yield a complete pathname.  dirname (path<b>)
     is	the directory where basename (path<b>) is found.

EXAMPLES    [Toc]    [Back]

     A simple filename and the strings ``.'' and ``..''	all have ``.''	as
     their return value.
     Input string   Output pointer
     _____________________________
     /usr/lib	    /usr
     /usr/	    /
     usr	    .
     /		    /
     .		    .
     ..		    .

     The following code	reads a	pathname, changes directory to the appropriate
     directory (see chdir(2)), and opens the file.

     char path[100], *pathcopy;
     int fd;
     gets (path);
     pathcopy =	strdup (path);
     chdir (dirname (pathcopy) );
     fd	= open (basename (path), O_RDONLY);

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     basename(1), chdir(2), basename(3G)


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