See also related modules.

NAME

File::Spec - portably perform operations on file names

SYNOPSIS

use File::Spec;

$x=File::Spec->catfile('a','b','c');

which returns 'a/b/c' under Unix.

DESCRIPTION

This module is designed to support operations commonly performed on file specifications (usually called ``file names'', but not to be confused with the contents of a file, or Perl's file handles), such as concatenating several directory and file names into a single path, or determining whether a path is rooted. It is based on code directly taken from MakeMaker 5.17, code written by Andreas König, Andy Dougherty, Charles Bailey, Ilya Zakharevich, Paul Schinder, and others.

Since these functions are different for most operating systems, each set of OS specific routines is available in a separate module, including: 

        File::Spec::Unix
        File::Spec::Mac
        File::Spec::OS2
        File::Spec::Win32
        File::Spec::VMS

The module appropriate for the current OS is automatically loaded by File::Spec. Since some modules (like VMS) make use of OS specific facilities, it may not be possible to load all modules under all operating systems.

Since File::Spec is object oriented, subroutines should not called directly, as in: 

        File::Spec::catfile('a','b');
        
but rather as class methods:


        File::Spec->catfile('a','b');

For a reference of available functions, pleaes consult Spec::Unix, which contains the entire set, and inherited by the modules for other platforms. For further information, please see Spec::Mac, Spec::OS2, Spec::Win32, or Spec::VMS.

SEE ALSO

File::Spec::Unix, File::Spec::Mac, File::Spec::OS2, File::Spec::Win32, File::Spec::VMS, ExtUtils::MakeMaker

AUTHORS

Kenneth Albanowski <kjahds@kjahds.com>, Andy Dougherty <doughera@lafcol.lafayette.edu>, Andreas König <A.Koenig@franz.ww.TU-Berlin.DE>, Tim Bunce <Tim.Bunce@ig.co.uk>. VMS support by Charles Bailey <bailey@genetics.upenn.edu>. OS/2 support by Ilya Zakharevich <ilya@math.ohio-state.edu>. Mac support by Paul Schinder <schinder@pobox.com>.

DISCLAIMER

We are painfully aware that these documents may contain incorrect links and misformatted HTML. Such bugs lie in the automatic translation process that automatically created the hundreds and hundreds of separate documents that you find here. Please do not report link or formatting bugs, because we cannot fix per-document problems. The only bug reports that will help us are those that supply working patches to the installhtml or pod2html programs, or to the Pod::HTML module itself, for which I and the entire Perl community will shower you with thanks and praises.

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--Tom Christiansen, Perl Documentation Compiler and Editor

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