dirname

Additional Notes

dirname is a file command used to strip the last path component from a path. It is commonly used in shell scripts to extract the directory portion of a file path, such as when constructing backup paths or processing files relative to their parent directory. It always produces output even if the path contains no slash.

Syntax

dirname [options] [arguments]

Parameters

• options: Flags that change how dirname behaves.
• path: File or directory path to inspect or change.
• arguments: Names, patterns, or values used by the command.

Common Options

• -z: End output with a null byte instead of a newline.

Examples

dirname /var/log/syslog
dirname ./src/app/index.js

Practical Notes

Pair dirname with basename in scripts that need to split paths into directory and filename parts.