basename(1)

NAME

     basename, dirname - deliver portions of path names

SYNOPSIS

     /usr/bin/basename string [suffix]

     /usr/xpg4/bin/basename string [suffix]

     dirname string

DESCRIPTION

     The basename utility deletes any prefix ending in / and  the
     suffix  (if  present  in string) from string, and prints the
     result on the standard output. It is  normally  used  inside
     substitution marks (``) within shell procedures.

  /usr/bin
     The suffix is a pattern defined on the expr(1) manual page.

  /usr/xpg4/bin
     The suffix is a string with no special significance attached
     to  any of the characters it contains.

     The dirname utility delivers all but the last level  of  the
     path name in string.

EXAMPLES

     Example 1: Setting environment variables

     The   following   example,   invoked   with   the   argument
     /home/sms/personal/mail  sets  the environment variable NAME
     to the file named mail and the environment variable  MYMAIL-
     PATH  to the string  /home/sms/personal:

     example% NAME=`basename $HOME/personal/mail`
     example% MYMAILPATH=`dirname $HOME/personal/mail`

     Example 2: Compiling a file and moving the output

     This   shell   procedure,   invoked   with   the    argument
     /usr/src/bin/cat.c,  compiles  the  named file and moves the
     output to cat in the current directory:

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

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

     See environ(5) for descriptions of the following environment
     variables  that  affect   the execution of basename and dir-
     name: LANG, LC_ALL, LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES, and NLSPATH.

EXIT STATUS

     The following exit values are returned:

     0     Successful completion.

     >0    An error occurred.

ATTRIBUTES

     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:

  /usr/bin
     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Availability                | SUNWcsu                     |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|

  /usr/xpg4/bin
     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Availability                | SUNWxcu4                    |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Interface Stability         | Standard                    |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|

SEE ALSO

     expr(1), attributes(5), environ(5), standards(5)