NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     basename -- extract the base portion of a pathname

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     #include <libgen.h>

     char *
     basename(const char *path);

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The basename() function returns the last component from the pathname
     pointed to by path, deleting any trailing `/' characters.	If path consists
 entirely of `/' characters, a pointer to the string "/" is
     returned.	If path is a null pointer or the empty string, a pointer to
     the string "." is returned.

RETURN VALUES    [Toc]    [Back]

     On successful completion, basename() returns a pointer to the last component
 of path.

     If basename() fails, a null pointer is returned and the global variable
     errno is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS    [Toc]    [Back]

     The following error codes may be set in errno:

     [ENAMETOOLONG]	The path component to be returned was larger than
			MAXPATHLEN.

WARNINGS    [Toc]    [Back]

     The basename() function returns a pointer to internal static storage
     space that will be overwritten by subsequent calls.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     basename(1), dirname(1), dirname(3)

STANDARDS    [Toc]    [Back]

     The basename() function conforms to X/Open Portability Guide Issue 4.2
     (``XPG4.2'').

HISTORY    [Toc]    [Back]

     The basename() function first appeared in OpenBSD 2.2 and FreeBSD 4.2.

AUTHORS    [Toc]    [Back]

     Todd C. Miller <Todd.Miller@courtesan.com>


FreeBSD 5.2.1			August 17, 1997 		 FreeBSD 5.2.1