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 "readlink"ing $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]

EXPORT

None - all subs are methods for "File::Spec::Link".

AUTHOR

Robin Barker, <RMBarker@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.