File::Spec::Mac(3)

NAME
     File::Spec::Mac - File::Spec for MacOS

SYNOPSIS
     require File::Spec::Mac;

DESCRIPTION
     Methods for manipulating file specifications.

METHODS
     canonpath
       On MacOS, there's nothing to be done.  Returns what it's given.

     catdir
       Concatenate two or more directory names to form a complete path ending
       with a directory.  Put a trailing : on the end of the complete path if
       there isn't one, because that's what's done in MacPerl's environment.

       The fundamental requirement of this routine is that

                 File::Spec->catdir(split(":",$path)) eq $path

       But because of the nature of Macintosh paths, some additional
       possibilities are allowed to make using this routine give resonable
       results for some common situations.  Here are the rules that are used.
       Each argument has its trailing ":" removed.  Each argument, except the
       first, has its leading ":" removed.  They are then joined together by a
       ":".

       So

                 File::Spec->catdir("a","b") = "a:b:"
                 File::Spec->catdir("a:",":b") = "a:b:"
                 File::Spec->catdir("a:","b") = "a:b:"
                 File::Spec->catdir("a",":b") = "a:b"
                 File::Spec->catdir("a","","b") = "a::b"

       etc.

       To get a relative path (one beginning with :), begin the first argument
       with :  or put a "" as the first argument.

       If you don't want to worry about these rules, never allow a ":" on the
       ends of any of the arguments except at the beginning of the first.

       Under MacPerl, there is an additional ambiguity.  Does the user intend
       that

                 File::Spec->catfile("LWP","Protocol","http.pm")

       be relative or absolute?  There's no way of telling except by checking
       for the existance of LWP: or :LWP, and even there he may mean a
       dismounted volume or a relative path in a different directory (like in
       @INC).   So those checks aren't done here. This routine will treat this
       as absolute.

     catfile
       Concatenate one or more directory names and a filename to form a
       complete path ending with a filename.  Since this uses catdir, the same
       caveats apply.  Note that the leading : is removed from the filename,
       so that

                 File::Spec->catfile($ENV{HOME},"file");

       and

                 File::Spec->catfile($ENV{HOME},":file");

       give the same answer, as one might expect.

     curdir
       Returns a string representing of the current directory.

     rootdir
       Returns a string representing the root directory.  Under MacPerl,
       returns the name of the startup volume, since that's the closest in
       concept, although other volumes aren't rooted there.  On any other
       platform returns '', since there's no common way to indicate "root
       directory" across all Macs.

     updir
       Returns a string representing the parent directory.

     file_name_is_absolute
       Takes as argument a path and returns true, if it is an absolute path.
       In the case where a name can be either relative or absolute (for
       example, a folder named "HD" in the current working directory on a
       drive named "HD"), relative wins.  Use ":" in the appropriate place in
       the path if you want to distinguish unambiguously.

     path
       Returns the null list for the MacPerl application, since the concept is
       usually meaningless under MacOS. But if you're using the MacPerl tool
       under MPW, it gives back $ENV{Commands} suitably split, as is done in
       :lib:ExtUtils:MM_Mac.pm.

SEE ALSO
     the File::Spec manpage