[Overview][Constants][Types][Procedures and functions][Index] | Reference for unit 'BaseUnix' (#rtl)

# fpReadLink

Read destination of symbolic link

## Declaration

Source position: line 0

`function fpReadLink(`
`name: PChar;`
`linkname: PChar;`
`maxlen: size_t`
`):cint; function fpReadLink(`
`Name: ansistring`
`):ansistring;`

## Description

FpReadLink returns the file the symbolic link name is pointing to. The first form of this function accepts a buffer linkname of length maxlen where the filename will be stored. It returns the actual number of characters stored in the buffer.

The second form of the function returns simply the name of the file.

## Errors

On error, the first form of the function returns -1; the second one returns an empty string. Extended error information is returned by the FpGetErrno function.

SYS_ENOTDIR
  A part of the path in Name is not a directory.
SYS_EINVAL
  maxlen is not positive, or the file is not a symbolic link.
SYS_ENAMETOOLONG
  A pathname, or a component of a pathname, was too long.
SYS_ENOENT
  the link name does not exist.
SYS_EACCES
  No permission to search a directory in the path
SYS_ELOOP
  Too many symbolic links were encountered in translating the pathname.
SYS_EIO
  An I/O error occurred while reading from the file system.
SYS_EFAULT
  The buffer is not part of the the process's memory space.
SYS_ENOMEM
  Not enough kernel memory was available.

## See also

FpSymLink |  | Create a symbolic link

## Example

    Program Example62;

    { Program to demonstrate the ReadLink function. }

    Uses BaseUnix,Unix;

    Var F : Text;
        S : String;

    begin
      Assign (F,'test.txt');
      Rewrite (F);
      Writeln (F,'This is written to test.txt');
      Close(f);
      { new.txt and test.txt are now the same file }
      if fpSymLink ('test.txt','new.txt')<>0 then
        writeln ('Error when symlinking !');
      S:=fpReadLink('new.txt');
      If S='' then
        Writeln ('Error reading link !')
      Else
        Writeln ('Link points to : ',S);
     { Now remove links }
     If fpUnlink ('new.txt')<>0 then
       Writeln ('Error when unlinking !');
     If fpUnlink ('test.txt')<>0 then
       Writeln ('Error when unlinking !');
    end.

Documentation generated on: Feb 26 2014