dirname(3G)

NAME
     dirname - report the parent directory name of a file pathname

SYNOPSIS
     cc [flag ...] file ... -lgen [library ...]
     #include <libgen.h>
     char *dirname (char *path);

DESCRIPTION
     Given a pointer to a null-terminated character string that contains a
     filesystem pathname, dirname returns a pointer to a static constant
     string that is the parent directory of that file.  In doing this, it
     sometimes places a null byte in the pathname after the next to last
     element, so the content of path must be disposable.  Trailing ``/''
     characters in the path are not counted as part of the path.

     If path or *path is zero, a pointer to a static constant ``.'' is
     returned.

     dirname and basename together yield a complete pathname.  dirname (path)
     is the directory where basename (path) is found.

EXAMPLES
     A simple filename and the strings ``.'' and ``..'' all have ``.''  as
     their return value.
     Input string   Output pointer
     _____________________________
     /usr/lib       /usr
     /usr/          /
     usr            .
     /              /
     .              .
     ..             .

     The following code reads a pathname, changes directory to the appropriate
     directory (see chdir(2)), and opens the file.

     char path[100], *pathcopy;
     int fd;
     gets (path);
     pathcopy = strdup (path);
     chdir (dirname (pathcopy) );
     fd = open (basename (path), O_RDONLY);

SEE ALSO
     basename(1), chdir(2), basename(3G)