Query: dirname
OS: mojave
Section: 3
Format: Original Unix Latex Style Formatted with HTML and a Horizontal Scroll Bar
DIRNAME(3) BSD Library Functions Manual DIRNAME(3)NAMEdirname -- extract the directory part of a pathnameSYNOPSIS#include <libgen.h> char * dirname(char *path); char * dirname_r(const char *path, char *dname);DESCRIPTIONThe dirname() function is the converse of basename(3); it returns a pointer to the parent directory of the pathname pointed to by path. Any trailing '/' characters are not counted as part of the directory name. If path is a null pointer, the empty string, or contains no '/' char- acters, dirname() returns a pointer to the string ".", signifying the current directory.IMPLEMENTATION NOTESThe dirname() function returns a pointer to internal storage space allocated on the first call that will be overwritten by subsequent calls. dirname_r() is therefore preferred for threaded applications. Other vendor implementations of dirname() may modify the contents of the string passed to dirname(); if portability is desired, this should be taken into account when writing code which calls this function.LEGACY SYNOPSIS#include <libgen.h> char * dirname(const char *path); In legacy mode, path will not be changed.RETURN VALUESOn successful completion, dirname() returns a pointer to the parent directory of path. If dirname() fails, a null pointer is returned and the global variable errno is set to indicate the error.ERRORSThe following error codes may be set in errno: [ENAMETOOLONG] The path component to be returned was larger than MAXPATHLEN. [ENOMEM] The static buffer used for storing the path in dirname() could not be allocated.SEE ALSObasename(1), dirname(1), basename(3), compat(5)STANDARDSThe dirname() function conforms to X/Open Portability Guide Issue 4, Version 2 (``XPG4.2'').HISTORYThe dirname() function first appeared in OpenBSD 2.2 and FreeBSD 4.2. The dirname_r() function first appeared in OS X 10.12.AUTHORSTodd C. MillerBSDOctober 12, 2006 BSD