NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     basename - extract the base portion of a pathname

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     #include <libgen.h>

     char *
     basename(const char *path);

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The basename() function returns the last component from  the
pathname
     pointed  to  by  path, deleting any trailing `/' characters.
If path consists
 entirely of `/' characters, a pointer  to  the  string
"/" is returned.
   If  path  is a null pointer or the empty string, a
pointer to the
     string "." is returned.

RETURN VALUES    [Toc]    [Back]

     On successful completion, basename() returns  a  pointer  to
the last component
 of path.

     If  basename()  fails,  a  null  pointer is returned and the
global variable
     errno is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS    [Toc]    [Back]

     The following error codes may be set in errno:

     [ENAMETOOLONG]
                   The path component to be returned  was  larger
than
                   MAXPATHLEN.

WARNINGS    [Toc]    [Back]

     basename()  returns  a  pointer  to  internal static storage
space that will
     be overwritten by subsequent calls.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     basename(1), dirname(1), dirname(3)

STANDARDS    [Toc]    [Back]

     The basename() function conforms to X/Open Portability Guide
Issue 4.2
     (``XPG4.2'').

HISTORY    [Toc]    [Back]

     The basename() function first appeared in OpenBSD 2.2.

AUTHORS    [Toc]    [Back]

     Todd C. Miller

OpenBSD      3.6                          August     17,     1997