BASENAME(3) | Library Functions Manual | BASENAME(3)

# NAME

`basename` — extract the base portion of a pathname

# SYNOPSIS

`#include <libgen.h>`

char *
`basename`(char *path);

# DESCRIPTION

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

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

The following error codes may be set in errno:

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

# SEE ALSO

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

# STANDARDS

The `basename`() function conforms to the X/Open System Interfaces option of the IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (“POSIX.1”) specification.

# HISTORY

The `basename`() function first appeared in OpenBSD 2.2.

# AUTHORS

Todd C. Miller

# CAVEATS

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

Other vendor implementations of `basename`() may modify the contents of the string passed to `basename`(); this should be taken into account when writing code which calls this function if portability is desired.

October 20, 2020 | Debian