


File::Spec(3p)   Perl Programmers Reference Guide  File::Spec(3p)


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. Or:

               use File::Spec::Functions;

               $x = catfile('a', 'b', 'c');


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 sev-
       eral 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 Koenig, 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 facilities available only under that OS, it may not
       be possible to load all modules under all operating sys-
       tems.

       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 simple uses, the File::Spec::Functions manpage pro-
       vides convenient functional forms of these methods.




2001-05-24                 perl v5.6.1                          1





File::Spec(3p)   Perl Programmers Reference Guide  File::Spec(3p)


       For a list of available methods, please consult the
       File::Spec::Unix manpage, which contains the entire set,
       and which is inherited by the modules for other platforms.
       For further information, please see the File::Spec::Mac
       manpage, the File::Spec::OS2 manpage, the
       File::Spec::Win32 manpage, or the File::Spec::VMS manpage.

SEE ALSO
       File::Spec::Unix, File::Spec::Mac, File::Spec::OS2,
       File::Spec::Win32, File::Spec::VMS, File::Spec::Functions,
       ExtUtils::MakeMaker

AUTHORS
       Kenneth Albanowski <kjahds@kjahds.com>, Andy Dougherty
       <doughera@lafcol.lafayette.edu>, Andreas Koenig
       <A.Koenig@franz.ww.TU-Berlin.DE>, Tim Bunce
       <Tim.Bunce@ig.co.uk>. VMS support by Charles Bailey <bai-
       ley@newman.upenn.edu>.  OS/2 support by Ilya Zakharevich
       <ilya@math.ohio-state.edu>. Mac support by Paul Schinder
       <schinder@pobox.com>.  abs2rel() and rel2abs() written by
       Shigio Yamaguchi <shigio@tamacom.com>, modified by Barrie
       Slaymaker <barries@slaysys.com>.  splitpath(), splitdir(),
       catpath() and catdir() by Barrie Slaymaker.


































2001-05-24                 perl v5.6.1                          2


