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REALPATH(3)              BSD Library Functions Manual              REALPATH(3)

NAME
     realpath -- returns the canonicalized absolute pathname

LIBRARY
     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS
     #include <stdlib.h>

     char *
     realpath(const char *restrict file_name, char *restrict resolved_name);

DESCRIPTION
     The realpath() function resolves all symbolic links, extra ``/'' charac-ters, characters,
     ters, and references to /./ and /../ in file_name, and copies the result-ing resulting
     ing absolute pathname into the memory referenced by resolved_name.  The
     resolved_name argument must refer to a buffer capable of storing at least
     PATH_MAX characters.

     The realpath() function will resolve both absolute and relative paths and
     return the absolute pathname corresponding to file_name.  All components
     of file_name must exist when realpath() is called.

RETURN VALUES
     The realpath() function returns resolved_name on success.  If an error
     occurs, realpath() returns NULL and resolved_name contains the pathname
     which caused the problem.

ERRORS
     The function realpath() may fail and set the external variable errno for
     any of the errors specified for the library functions lstat(2),
     readlink(2), and getcwd(3).

CAVEATS
     This implementation of realpath() differs slightly from the Solaris
     implementation.  The 4.4BSD version always returns absolute pathnames,
     whereas the Solaris implementation will, under certain circumstances,
     return a relative resolved_name when given a relative file_name.

LEGACY SYNOPSIS
     #include <sys/param.h>
     #include <stdlib.h>

     The include file <sys/param.h> is necessary.

LEGACY DESCRIPTION
     In legacy mode, the last component of file_name does not need to exist
     when realpath() is called.

SEE ALSO
     getcwd(3), compat(5)

HISTORY
     The realpath() function first appeared in 4.4BSD.

BSD                            February 16, 1994                           BSD