DIRNAME(3) | Library Functions Manual | DIRNAME(3)

# NAME

`dirname` — extract the directory portion of a pathname

# SYNOPSIS

`#include <libgen.h>`

char *
`dirname`(char *path);

# DESCRIPTION

The `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 ‘/’ characters, `dirname`() returns a pointer to the string ".", signifying the current directory.

# RETURN VALUES

On 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.

# 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), basename(3)

# STANDARDS

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

# HISTORY

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

# AUTHORS

Todd C. Miller

# CAVEATS

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

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

October 20, 2020 | Debian