NAME

File::Spec::Link - Perl extension for reading and resolving symbolic links

SYNOPSIS

    use File::Spec::Link;
    my $file = File::Spec::Link->linked($link); 
    my $file = File::Spec::Link->resolve($link); 
    my $dirname = File::Spec::Link->chopfile($file);
    my $newname = File::Spec::Link->relative_to_file($path, $link);
  
    my $realname = File::Spec::Link->full_resolve($file);
    my $realname = File::Spec::Link->resolve_path($file);
    my $realname = File::Spec::Link->resolve_all($file);

DESCRIPTION

File::Spec::Link is an extension to File::Spec, adding methods for resolving symbolic links; it was created to implement File::Copy::Link.

linked($link)

Returns the filename linked to by $link: by readlinking $link, and resolving that path relative to the directory of $link.

resolve($link)

Returns the non-link ultimately linked to by $link, by repeatedly calling linked. Returns undef if the link can not be resolved.

chopfile($file)

Returns the directory of $file, by splitting the path of $file and returning (the volumne and) directory parts.

relative_to_file($path, $file)

Returns the path of $path relative to the directory of file $file. If $path is absolute, just returns $path.

resolve_all($file)

Returns the filename of $file with all links in the path resolved, wihout using Cwd.

full_resolve($file)

Returns the filename of $file with all links in the path resolved.

This sub tries to use Cwd::abs_path via ->resolve_path.

resolve_path($file)

Returns the filename of $file with all links in the path resolved.

This sub uses Cwd::abs_path and is independent of the rest of File::Spec::Link.

Object methods

new([$path]): create new path object: stores path as a list
path: returns path as a string, using catpath
canonical: returns canonical path, using canonpath
vol: returns volume element of path, see File::Spec->splitpath
dir: returns directory element of path, as a string, see File::Spec->splitpath
dirs: return list of directory components in path, see File::Spec->splitdir
pop: remove last component of the path
push($file): add a file component to the path, ignoring empty strings
add($file): add a component to the path: treating updir as pop, and ignoring curdir and empty strings
split($path): populate a path object, using splitpath
chop: remove and return a file component from path, an empty string returns means this was root dir.
relative($path): replace the path object with the supplied path, where the new path is relative to the path object
follow: follow the link, where the path object is a link
resolved: resolve the path object, by repeatedly following links
resolvedir: resolve the links at all component levels within the path object

Other class methods

canonpath($path): Wrapper round File::Spec::canonpath, fatal if empty input
catdir(@dirs): Wrapper round File::Spec::catdir, returns curdir from empty list
splitlast($path): Get component from $path (using chop) and returns remaining path and compenent, as strings. [Not used]