8 my %module = (MacOS => 'Mac',
17 my $module = $module{$^O} || 'Unix';
19 require "File/Spec/$module.pm";
20 @ISA = ("File::Spec::$module");
28 File::Spec - portably perform operations on file names
34 $x=File::Spec->catfile('a', 'b', 'c');
36 which returns 'a/b/c' under Unix. Or:
38 use File::Spec::Functions;
40 $x = catfile('a', 'b', 'c');
44 This module is designed to support operations commonly performed on file
45 specifications (usually called "file names", but not to be confused with the
46 contents of a file, or Perl's file handles), such as concatenating several
47 directory and file names into a single path, or determining whether a path
48 is rooted. It is based on code directly taken from MakeMaker 5.17, code
49 written by Andreas KE<ouml>nig, Andy Dougherty, Charles Bailey, Ilya
50 Zakharevich, Paul Schinder, and others.
52 Since these functions are different for most operating systems, each set of
53 OS specific routines is available in a separate module, including:
61 The module appropriate for the current OS is automatically loaded by
62 File::Spec. Since some modules (like VMS) make use of facilities available
63 only under that OS, it may not be possible to load all modules under all
66 Since File::Spec is object oriented, subroutines should not be called directly,
69 File::Spec::catfile('a','b');
71 but rather as class methods:
73 File::Spec->catfile('a','b');
75 For simple uses, L<File::Spec::Functions> provides convenient functional
76 forms of these methods.
84 No physical check on the filesystem, but a logical cleanup of a
87 $cpath = File::Spec->canonpath( $path ) ;
91 Concatenate two or more directory names to form a complete path ending
92 with a directory. But remove the trailing slash from the resulting
93 string, because it doesn't look good, isn't necessary and confuses
94 OS2. Of course, if this is the root directory, don't cut off the
97 $path = File::Spec->catdir( @directories );
101 Concatenate one or more directory names and a filename to form a
102 complete path ending with a filename
104 $path = File::Spec->catfile( @directories, $filename );
108 Returns a string representation of the current directory.
110 $curdir = File::Spec->curdir();
114 Returns a string representation of the null device.
116 $devnull = File::Spec->devnull();
120 Returns a string representation of the root directory.
122 $rootdir = File::Spec->rootdir();
126 Returns a string representation of the first writable directory from a
127 list of possible temporary directories. Returns "" if no writable
128 temporary directories are found. The list of directories checked
129 depends on the platform; e.g. File::Spec::Unix checks $ENV{TMPDIR} and
132 $tmpdir = File::Spec->tmpdir();
136 Returns a string representation of the parent directory.
138 $updir = File::Spec->updir();
142 Given a list of file names, strip out those that refer to a parent
143 directory. (Does not strip symlinks, only '.', '..', and equivalents.)
145 @paths = File::Spec->no_upwards( @paths );
149 Returns a true or false value indicating, respectively, that alphabetic
150 is not or is significant when comparing file specifications.
152 $is_case_tolerant = File::Spec->case_tolerant();
154 =item file_name_is_absolute
156 Takes as argument a path and returns true if it is an absolute path.
158 $is_absolute = File::Spec->file_name_is_absolute( $path );
160 This does not consult the local filesystem on Unix, Win32, OS/2, or
161 Mac OS (Classic). It does consult the working environment for VMS
162 (see L<File::Spec::VMS/file_name_is_absolute>).
166 Takes no argument, returns the environment variable PATH as an array.
168 @PATH = File::Spec->path();
172 join is the same as catfile.
176 Splits a path in to volume, directory, and filename portions. On systems
177 with no concept of volume, returns undef for volume.
179 ($volume,$directories,$file) = File::Spec->splitpath( $path );
180 ($volume,$directories,$file) = File::Spec->splitpath( $path, $no_file );
182 For systems with no syntax differentiating filenames from directories,
183 assumes that the last file is a path unless $no_file is true or a
184 trailing separator or /. or /.. is present. On Unix this means that $no_file
185 true makes this return ( '', $path, '' ).
187 The directory portion may or may not be returned with a trailing '/'.
189 The results can be passed to L</catpath()> to get back a path equivalent to
190 (usually identical to) the original path.
194 The opposite of L</catdir()>.
196 @dirs = File::Spec->splitdir( $directories );
198 $directories must be only the directory portion of the path on systems
199 that have the concept of a volume or that have path syntax that differentiates
200 files from directories.
202 Unlike just splitting the directories on the separator, empty
203 directory names (C<''>) can be returned, because these are significant
208 Takes volume, directory and file portions and returns an entire path. Under
209 Unix, $volume is ignored, and directory and file are catenated. A '/' is
210 inserted if need be. On other OSs, $volume is significant.
212 $full_path = File::Spec->catpath( $volume, $directory, $file );
216 Takes a destination path and an optional base path returns a relative path
217 from the base path to the destination path:
219 $rel_path = File::Spec->abs2rel( $path ) ;
220 $rel_path = File::Spec->abs2rel( $path, $base ) ;
222 If $base is not present or '', then L<cwd()|Cwd> is used. If $base is relative,
223 then it is converted to absolute form using L</rel2abs()>. This means that it
224 is taken to be relative to L<cwd()|Cwd>.
226 On systems with the concept of a volume, this assumes that both paths
227 are on the $destination volume, and ignores the $base volume.
229 On systems that have a grammar that indicates filenames, this ignores the
230 $base filename as well. Otherwise all path components are assumed to be
233 If $path is relative, it is converted to absolute form using L</rel2abs()>.
234 This means that it is taken to be relative to L<cwd()|Cwd>.
236 No checks against the filesystem are made. On VMS, there is
237 interaction with the working environment, as logicals and
240 Based on code written by Shigio Yamaguchi.
244 Converts a relative path to an absolute path.
246 $abs_path = File::Spec->rel2abs( $path ) ;
247 $abs_path = File::Spec->rel2abs( $path, $base ) ;
249 If $base is not present or '', then L<cwd()|Cwd> is used. If $base is relative,
250 then it is converted to absolute form using L</rel2abs()>. This means that it
251 is taken to be relative to L<cwd()|Cwd>.
253 On systems with the concept of a volume, this assumes that both paths
254 are on the $base volume, and ignores the $path volume.
256 On systems that have a grammar that indicates filenames, this ignores the
257 $base filename as well. Otherwise all path components are assumed to be
260 If $path is absolute, it is cleaned up and returned using L</canonpath()>.
262 No checks against the filesystem are made. On VMS, there is
263 interaction with the working environment, as logicals and
266 Based on code written by Shigio Yamaguchi.
270 For further information, please see L<File::Spec::Unix>,
271 L<File::Spec::Mac>, L<File::Spec::OS2>, L<File::Spec::Win32>, or
276 L<File::Spec::Unix>, L<File::Spec::Mac>, L<File::Spec::OS2>,
277 L<File::Spec::Win32>, L<File::Spec::VMS>, L<File::Spec::Functions>,
278 L<ExtUtils::MakeMaker>
282 Kenneth Albanowski <kjahds@kjahds.com>, Andy Dougherty
283 <doughera@lafcol.lafayette.edu>, Andreas KE<ouml>nig
284 <A.Koenig@franz.ww.TU-Berlin.DE>, Tim Bunce <Tim.Bunce@ig.co.uk.
285 VMS support by Charles Bailey <bailey@newman.upenn.edu>.
286 OS/2 support by Ilya Zakharevich <ilya@math.ohio-state.edu>.
287 Mac support by Paul Schinder <schinder@pobox.com>, and Thomas Wegner
288 <wegner_thomas@yahoo.com>. abs2rel() and rel2abs() written by Shigio
289 Yamaguchi <shigio@tamacom.com>, modified by Barrie Slaymaker
290 <barries@slaysys.com>. splitpath(), splitdir(), catpath() and
291 catdir() by Barrie Slaymaker.