canonicalize_file_name (3)

Leading comments

Copyright 2013 Michael Kerrisk <mtk.manpages@gmail.com>
(Replaces an earlier page by Walter Harms and Michael Kerrisk)

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(The comments found at the beginning of the groff file "man3/canonicalize_file_name.3".)

NAME

canonicalize_file_name - return the canonicalized absolute pathname

SYNOPSIS

#define _GNU_SOURCE /* See feature_test_macros(7) */
#include <stdlib.h>

char *canonicalize_file_name(const char *path);

DESCRIPTION

The canonicalize_file_name() function returns a null-terminated string containing the canonicalized absolute pathname corresponding to path. In the returned string, symbolic links are resolved, as are . and .. pathname components. Consecutive slash (/) characters are replaced by a single slash.
The returned string is dynamically allocated by canonicalize_file_name() and the caller should deallocate it with free(3) when it is no longer required.
The call canonicalize_file_name(path) is equivalent to the call:

    realpath(path, NULL);

RETURN VALUE

On success, canonicalize_file_name() returns a null-terminated string. On error (e.g., a pathname component is unreadable or does not exist), canonicalize_file_name() returns NULL and sets errno to indicate the error.

ERRORS

See realpath(3).

ATTRIBUTES

For an explanation of the terms used in this section, see attributes(7).

Interface	Attribute	Value
canonicalize_file_name()	Thread safety	MT-Safe

CONFORMING TO

This function is a GNU extension.

SEE ALSO

readlink(2), realpath(3)

COLOPHON

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