File::Path(3perl)

NAME
File::Path - create or remove directory trees

SYNOPSIS
    use File::Path;

    mkpath(['/foo/bar/baz', 'blurfl/quux'], 1, 0711);
    rmtree(['foo/bar/baz', 'blurfl/quux'], 1, 1);

DESCRIPTION
The "mkpath" function provides a convenient way to create directories, even if your "mkdir" kernel call won't create more than one level of directory at a time. "mkpath" takes three arguments:

•   the name of the path to create, or a reference to a list of paths to create,

•   a boolean value, which if TRUE will cause "mkpath" to print the name of each directory as it is created (defaults to FALSE), and

•   the numeric mode to use when creating the directories (defaults to 0777), to be modified by the current umask.

It returns a list of all directories (including intermediates, determined using the Unix '/' separator) created.

If a system error prevents a directory from being created, then the "mkpath" function throws a fatal error with "Carp::croak". This error can be trapped with an "eval" block:

  eval { mkpath($dir) };
  if ($@) {
    print "Couldn't create $dir: $@";
  }

Similarly, the "rmtree" function provides a convenient way to delete a subtree from the directory structure, much like the Unix command "rm -r". "rmtree" takes three arguments:

•   the root of the subtree to delete, or a reference to a list of roots. All of the files and directories below each root, as well as the roots themselves, will be deleted.

•   a boolean value, which if TRUE will cause "rmtree" to print a message each time it examines a file, giving the name of the file, and indicating whether it's using "rmdir" or "unlink" to remove it, or that it's skipping it. (defaults to FALSE)

•   a boolean value, which if FALSE (the default for non-root users) will cause "rmtree" to adjust the mode of directories (if required) prior to attempting to remove the contents. Note that on interruption or failure of "rmtree", directories may be left with more permissive modes for the owner.

It returns the number of files successfully deleted. Symlinks are simply deleted and not followed.

DIAGNOSTICS

•   On Windows, if "mkpath" gives you the warning: No such file or directory, this may mean that you've exceeded your filesystem's maximum path length.

AUTHORS
Tim Bunce <Tim.Bunce@ig.co.uk> and Charles Bailey <bailey@newman.upenn.edu>