GETCWD
Section: C Library Functions (3)
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BSD mandoc
BSD 4.2
NAME
getcwd
getwd
- get working directory pathname
SYNOPSIS
Fd #include <unistd.h>
Ft char *
Fn getcwd char *buf size_t size
Ft char *
Fn getwd char *buf
DESCRIPTION
The
Fn getcwd
function copies the absolute pathname of the current working directory
into the memory referenced by
Fa buf
and returns a pointer to
Fa buf .
The
Fa size
argument is the size, in bytes, of the array referenced by
Fa buf .
If
Fa buf
is
NULL
space is allocated as necessary to store the pathname.
This space may later be
free(3)Ns'd.
The function
Fn getwd
is a compatibility routine which calls
Fn getcwd
with its
Fa buf
argument and a size of
MAXPATHLEN
(as defined in the include
file
Aq Pa sys/param.h ) .
Obviously,
Fa buf
should be at least
MAXPATHLEN
bytes in length.
These routines have traditionally been used by programs to save the
name of a working directory for the purpose of returning to it.
A much faster and less error-prone method of accomplishing this is to
open the current directory
(`.'
)
and use the
fchdir(2)
function to return.
RETURN VALUES
Upon successful completion, a pointer to the pathname is returned.
Otherwise a
NULL
pointer is returned and the global variable
errno
is set to indicate the error.
In addition,
Fn getwd
copies the error message associated with
errno
into the memory referenced by
Fa buf .
ERRORS
The
Fn getcwd
function
will fail if:
- Bq Er EACCESS
-
Read or search permission was denied for a component of the pathname.
- Bq Er EINVAL
-
The
Fa size
argument is zero.
- Bq Er ENOENT
-
A component of the pathname no longer exists.
- Bq Er ENOMEM
-
Insufficient memory is available.
- Bq Er ERANGE
-
The
Fa size
argument is greater than zero but smaller than the length of the pathname
plus 1.
SEE ALSO
chdir(2),
fchdir(2),
malloc(3),
strerror(3)
STANDARDS
The
Fn getcwd
function
conforms to
St -ansiC .
The ability to specify a
NULL
pointer and have
Fn getcwd
allocate memory as necessary is an extension.
HISTORY
The
Fn getwd
function appeared in
BSD 4.0
BUGS
The
Fn getwd
function
does not do sufficient error checking and is not able to return very
long, but valid, paths.
It is provided for compatibility.
Index
- NAME
-
- SYNOPSIS
-
- DESCRIPTION
-
- RETURN VALUES
-
- ERRORS
-
- SEE ALSO
-
- STANDARDS
-
- HISTORY
-
- BUGS
-
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Time: 16:28:58 GMT, April 18, 2022