- NAME
- SYNOPSIS
- DESCRIPTION

# NAME

getcwd - get pathname of current working directory

# SYNOPSIS

        use Cwd;
        $dir = cwd;

        use Cwd;
        $dir = getcwd;

        use Cwd;
        $dir = fastgetcwd;

        use Cwd 'chdir';
        chdir "/tmp";
        print $ENV{'PWD'};

        use Cwd 'abs_path';
        print abs_path($ENV{'PWD'});

        use Cwd 'fast_abs_path';
        print fast_abs_path($ENV{'PWD'});

# DESCRIPTION

The `getcwd()` function re-implements the `getcwd(3)` (or `getwd(3))` functions in Perl.

The `abs_path()` function takes a single argument and returns the absolute pathname for that argument. It uses the same algoritm as `getcwd().` (actually `getcwd()` is `abs_path(``.''))`

The `fastcwd()` function looks the same as `getcwd(),` but runs faster. It's also more dangerous because it might conceivably `chdir()` you out of a directory that it can't `chdir()` you back into. If fastcwd encounters a problem it will return undef but will probably leave you in a different directory. For a measure of extra security, if everything appears to have worked, the `fastcwd()` function will check that it leaves you in the same directory that it started in. If it has changed it will die with the message ``Unstable directory path, current directory changed unexpectedly''. That should never happen.

The `fast_abs_path()` function looks the same as `abs_path(),` but runs faster. And like `fastcwd()` is more dangerous.

The `cwd()` function looks the same as getcwd and fastgetcwd but is implemented using the most natural and safe form for the current architecture. For most systems it is identical to `pwd` (but without the trailing line terminator).

It is recommended that cwd (or another *cwd() function) is used in all code to ensure portability.

If you ask to override your `chdir()` built-in function, then your PWD environment variable will be kept up to date. (See Overriding Builtin Functions.) Note that it will only be kept up to date if all packages which use chdir import it from Cwd.