getcwd

get the name of the current working directory

Synopsis:

#include <unistd.h>
char *getcwd( char *buffer, size_t size );

Description:

The getcwd() function returns the name of the current working directory. The buffer address is either NULL, or is the location at which a string containing the name of the current working directory is to be placed. In the latter case, the value of size is the length (including the delimiting '\0' character) that can be be used to store this name.

The maximum size that might be required for buff is PATH_MAX + 1 bytes. This function includes the following extension:

• When buffer has a value of NULL, a string is allocated to contain the name of the current working directory. This string may be freed using the free() function.

Returns:

The getcwd() function returns the address of the string containing the name of the current working directory, unless an error occurs, in which case NULL is returned, and the global variable errno is set.

Errors:

EINVAL

The argument size is negative.

ENOMEM

Not enough memory to allocate a buffer.

ERANGE

The buffer is too small (as specified by size) to contain the name of the current working directory.

See also:

chdir(), errno, mkdir(), rmdir()

Examples:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <unistd.h>

void main()
  {
    char *cwd;

    cwd = getcwd( NULL, 0 );
    if( cwd != NULL ) {
      printf( "My working directory is %s\n", cwd );
      free( cwd );
    }
  }

produces the output:

My working directory is /home/bill

Classification:

POSIX 1003.1 with extensions

Systems:

All (except Netware, DOS/PM)