basename(1)                                           basename(1)



NAME
     basename, dirname - get part of a pathname

SYNOPSIS
     basename string [suffix]

     dirname string

ARGUMENTS
     string
          Specifies an absolute or a relative pathname.

     suffix
          Specifies an optional suffix that, if present in
          string, basename is to remove.

DESCRIPTION
     basename examines string for the last slash (/) and returns
     the characters that follow the slash. For example, basename
     /usr/bin/vi yields vi.

     dirname examines string for the last slash and returns the
     characters that precede the slash.  For example, dirname
     /usr/bin/vi yields /usr/bin.

     Both basename and dirname write on the standard output.
     Neither command verifies that string is a valid pathname on
     the current system.

EXAMPLES
     The basename and dirname commands are most commonly used in
     shell scripts where the commands are enclosed within back
     quotes (`).  Enclosure within backquotes causes the command
     to be executed and the result substituted as an argument to
     another command.  For example, if $1 is
     /users/tom/prog/mine.c, this sequence compiles
     /users/tom/prog/mine.c and moves the output to a file named
     mine in the current directory:

        cc $1
        mv a.out `basename $1 '.c'`

     This sequence sets the Bourne shell variable NAME to
     /users/tom/prog:

        NAME=`dirname /users/tom/prog/mine.c`


STATUS MESSAGES AND VALUES
     If string is only a slash, an error results and basename
     displays this message:




January 1992                                                    1

basename(1)                                           basename(1)



        expr: syntax error
        0


FILES
     /bin/basename
          Executable file
     /bin/dirname
          Executable file

SEE ALSO
     sh(1)











































2                                                    January 1992