Function file-dirname

file-dirname pathName

Retrieves the directory part of a path name.

Parameters:

pathName - String representing a path name.

Returns:

A string representing the parent directory of pathName or null if pathName has no parent directory.

If pathName is comprised of just a base name (e.g. "hello.com.pdmfc.tea.) then the parent directory is taken to be ".".

Some pathName may have no parent directory. This is the case of root directories (e.g. "/" in unix, "c:\" in windows).