Shell scripting - Getting just directory string from file path string?

arashi256 · 10-16-2009, 05:41 AM

I have a script which has this: -

Code:

DIRECTORY=${filename}

$filename will have a value of something like: -

Code:

/home/sambashare/projects/COMPANY/Office Admin/Year End/BankAccount09.xls

I want the $DIRECTORY variable to just have: -

Code:

/home/sambashare/projects/COMPANY/Office Admin/Year End

i.e. Just the directory. How can I get this in the script? Any ideas?

madmadmod · 10-16-2009, 05:52 AM

Hi

Code:

echo "/home/sambashare/projects/COMPANY/Office Admin/Year End/BankAccount09.xls"| sed 's/[^\/]*$//'

cheers

jlinkels · 10-16-2009, 05:56 AM

DIRECTORY=$(dirname "$filename")

The bash command is dirname

jlinkels

gnashley · 10-16-2009, 06:50 AM

dirname is not a bash command -it is a separate binary program.
Here is the way to do it in bash:

Code:

DIRECTORY="${filename%/*}"

But, if the path has a trailing '/' then that won't work.

Code:

if [[ ${test:$((${#test}-1)):1} = '/' ]] ; then
 filename=${filename:0:$((${#filename}-1))}
fi
DIRECTORY="${filename%/*}"

That's still not a perfect substitute for the real dirname command because it doesn't take into account the case of having just 'filename=/'

Here's a full version of 'dirname' in pure posix shell:

Code:

dirname()
{ 
    _dirname "$1" && printf "%s\n" "$_DIRNAME"
}

_dirname()
{ 
    _DIRNAME=$1;
    strip_trailing_slashes;
    case $_DIRNAME in 
        "")
            _DIRNAME='/'
	    return
        ;;
        */*)
            _DIRNAME="${_DIRNAME%/*}"
        ;;
        *)
            _DIRNAME='.'
        ;;
    esac;
    strip_trailing_slashes;
}

strip_trailing_slashes () 
{ 
    while [ "${_DIRNAME%/}" != "$_DIRNAME" ]; do
        _DIRNAME=${_DIRNAME%/};
    done
}

dirname "$@"

jlinkels · 10-16-2009, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnashley

dirname is not a bash command -it is a separate binary program.

Yeah, I know....

It was shorthand for:
"The command you can issue directly on the Bash command line, or probably in any shell, without any express or implied warranties including but not limited to the fitness for a particular purpose is dirname"

But what I wrote was more to the point

jlinkels

arashi256 · 10-16-2009, 08:21 AM

Thanks all - got it