std::filesystem::path::parent_path

 

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Feature test macros (C++20)

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Concepts library (C++20)

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Filesystem library (C++17)

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Symbols index

External libraries

 

Filesystem library

Classes
filesystem::path filesystem::filesystem_error filesystem::directory_entry filesystem::directory_iterator filesystem::recursive_directory_iterator      filesystem::file_status	filesystem::space_info filesystem::file_type filesystem::perms filesystem::perm_options filesystem::copy_options filesystem::directory_options filesystem::file_time_type
Functions
filesystem::absolute filesystem::canonicalfilesystem::weakly_canonical filesystem::relativefilesystem::proximate filesystem::copy filesystem::copy_file filesystem::copy_symlink filesystem::create_directory filesystem::create_directories filesystem::create_hard_link filesystem::create_symlink filesystem::create_directory_symlink filesystem::current_path	filesystem::exists filesystem::equivalent filesystem::file_size filesystem::hard_link_count filesystem::last_write_time filesystem::permissions filesystem::read_symlink filesystem::remove filesystem::remove_all filesystem::rename filesystem::resize_file filesystem::space filesystem::status filesystem::symlink_status filesystem::temp_directory_path
File types
filesystem::is_block_file filesystem::is_character_file filesystem::is_directory filesystem::is_empty filesystem::status_known	filesystem::is_fifo filesystem::is_other filesystem::is_regular_file filesystem::is_socket filesystem::is_symlink

 

std::filesystem::path

Constants
path::native_formatpath::generic_formatpath::auto_format
Member functions
path::path path::~path path::operator= path::assign path::appendpath::operator/= path::concatpath::operator+= path::clear path::make_preferred path::remove_filename path::replace_filename path::replace_extension      path::swap path::compare path::beginpath::end	path::c_strpath::nativepath::operator string_type path::stringpath::u8stringpath::u16stringpath::u32stringpath::wstring path::generic_stringpath::generic_u8stringpath::generic_u16stringpath::generic_u32stringpath::generic_wstring path::lexically_normalpath::lexically_relativepath::lexically_proximate
Path decomposition
path::root_name path::root_directory path::root_path path::relative_path path::parent_path path::filename path::stem path::extension path::empty	path::has_root_pathpath::has_root_namepath::has_root_directorypath::has_relative_pathpath::has_parent_pathpath::has_filenamepath::has_stempath::has_extension path::is_absolutepath::is_relative
Non-member functions
operator==operator!=operator<operator<=operator>operator>=operator<=> (until C++20)(until C++20)(until C++20)(until C++20)(until C++20)(C++20)	operator/ operator<<operator>> swap(std::filesystem::path) hash_value u8path
Helper Classes
hash<std::filesystem::path>
formatter<std::filesystem::path> (C++26)

 

path parent_path() const;		(since C++17)

Returns the path to the parent directory.

If has_relative_path() returns false, the result is a copy of *this. Otherwise, the result is a path whose generic format pathname is the longest prefix of the generic format pathname of *this that produces one fewer element in its iteration.

Parameters

(none)

Return value

The path to the parent directory, or a copy of *this if not has_relative_path().

Exceptions

May throw implementation-defined exceptions.

Example

Run this code

#include <filesystem>
#include <iostream>
namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 
int main()
{
    for (fs::path p : {"/var/tmp/example.txt", "/", "/var/tmp/."})
        std::cout << "The parent path of " << p
                  << " is " << p.parent_path() << '\n';
}

Possible output:

The parent path of "/var/tmp/example.txt" is "/var/tmp"
The parent path of "/" is "/"
The parent path of "/var/tmp/." is "/var/tmp"

See also

root_name	returns the root-name of the path, if present (public member function)
root_directory	returns the root directory of the path, if present (public member function)
root_path	returns the root path of the path, if present (public member function)