getcwd() — Get path name of the working directory

Standards

Standards / Extensions	C or C++	Dependencies
POSIX.1 XPG4 XPG4.2 Single UNIX Specification, Version 3	both

Format

#define _POSIX_SOURCE
#include <unistd.h>

char *getcwd(char *buffer, size_t size);

General description

Determines the path name of the working directory and stores it in buffer.

size: The number of characters in the buffer area.
buffer: The name of the buffer that will be used to hold the path name of the working directory. buffer must be big enough to hold the working directory name, plus a terminating NULL to mark the end of the name.

Returned value

If successful, getcwd() returns a pointer to the buffer.

If unsuccessful, getcwd() returns a NULL pointer and sets errno to one of the following values:

Error Code: Description
EACCES: The process did not have read or search permission on some component of the working directory's path name.
EINVAL: size is less than or equal to zero.
EIO: An input/output error occurred.
ENOENT: A component of the working directory's path name does not exist.
ENOTDIR: A directory component of the working directory's path name is not really a directory.
ERANGE: size is greater than 0, but less than the length of the working directory's path name, plus 1 for the terminating NULL.

Example

CELEBG03

/* CELEBG03

   This example determines the working directory.

 */
#define _POSIX_SOURCE
#include <unistd.h>
#undef _POSIX_SOURCE
#include <stdio.h>

main() {
  char cwd[256];

  if (chdir("/tmp") != 0)
    perror("chdir() error()");
  else {
    if (getcwd(cwd, sizeof(cwd)) == NULL)
      perror("getcwd() error");
    else
      printf("current working directory is: %s\n", cwd);
  }
}

Output

current working directory is: /tmp