basename(C)                   06 January 1993                    basename(C)


 Name

    basename - remove directory names from pathnames

 Syntax

    basename string [ suffix ]

 Description

    The basename command deletes any prefix ending in ``/'' and the suffix
    (if present in string) from string, and prints the result on the standard
    output.  The result is the ``base'' name of the file, that is, the
    filename without any preceding directory path and without an extension.
    It is used inside substitution marks (` `) in shell procedures to con-
    struct new filenames.

    The related command dirname deletes the last level from string and prints
    the resulting path on the standard output.

 Examples

    The following command displays the filename memos on the standard output:

       basename /usr/johnh/memos.old .old

    The following shell procedure, when invoked with the argument
    /usr/src/cmd/cat.c, compiles the named file and moves the output to a
    file named cat in the current directory:

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


 See also

    dirname(C) and sh(C).

 Standards conformance

    basename is conformant with X/Open Portability Guide, Issue 3, 1989.