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".

SEE ALSO

       File::Spec(3) File::Copy::Link(3)

AUTHOR

       Robin Barker, <Robin.Barker@npl.co.uk>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

       Copyright 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 by Robin Barker

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