How to retrieve full file path from DIR pointer?

Question

From a DIR* variable from <dirent.h>, how do I get the full file path (e.g. "/home/ubuntu/Desktop/planning")?

Note: This needs to work on Linux.

Which operating systems does this need to work on? Is a solution that just works on Linux acceptable? — Joseph Sible-Reinstate Monica, Oct 04 '21 at 02:24

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 04 '21 at 02:25

There's nothing in the DIR object that gives you the name of the directory that the DIR object is reading. There is no function in the C library that does this.

You will need to implement this logic yourself. Wherever you open a DIR: save the name of the directory you opened, and consult it as needed.

Or, in modern C++, you can also use the filesystem library, instead of this C API.

How to retrieve full file path from DIR pointer?

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