Return the directory portion of a pathname (POSIX)
dirname string
QNX Neutrino, Microsoft Windows
None.
The dirname utility returns a portion of the string operand to standard output. The string operand represents a valid pathname whose format is:
directory_pathname/base_filename
The dirname utility writes the directory_pathname component to standard output.
If string is //, then // is returned. Any other string consisting entirely of slash characters causes a single slash to be returned.
You'll use the dirname utility most often within shell scripts, where it's normally invoked inside back-ticks (`...`), or contained in $(...).
Command: | Output: |
---|---|
dirname . | . |
dirname .. | . |
dirname ../. | .. |
dirname /usr/src/prog.c | /usr/src |
dirname /usr/src/ | /usr |
dirname ...//[fred] | ... |