Get last dirname/filename in a file path argument in Bash

Bash Tips: Getting the Last Directory Name in a File Path

Are you struggling to extract the last directory name from a file path in Bash? 🤔 Don't worry, we've got you covered! In this blog post, we will walk you through the common issues, provide easy solutions, and help you automate your workflow with a post-commit hook for SVN on your development server. Let's dive in! 🚀

Understanding the Problem

As mentioned in the context, the goal is to extract the last directory name from the file path. For instance, if the file path is /usr/local/svn/repos/example, we need to extract the directory name example. This will allow us to dynamically checkout the committed project to the appropriate directory for live viewing.

Solution 1: Using the dirname and basename Commands

One way to achieve this is by using the dirname and basename commands in combination. Let's break it down with an example:

#!/bin/bash

file_path="/usr/local/svn/repos/example"
last_directory=$(basename "$(dirname "$file_path")")

# Concatenate with another string as per your requirement
target_directory="/server/root/$last_directory"

# Checkout the project to the target directory
svn checkout "$file_path" "$target_directory"

Here, we first use the dirname command to extract the directory path /usr/local/svn/repos and then pipe it to the basename command. The basename command extracts the last directory name example, which we store in the last_directory variable. Finally, we concatenate it with the target directory path to dynamically set the destination for our checkout.

Solution 2: Using Parameter Expansion

If you prefer a more concise solution, you can utilize parameter expansion. Take a look at the following example:

#!/bin/bash

file_path="/usr/local/svn/repos/example"
last_directory="${file_path##*/}"

# Concatenate with another string as per your requirement
target_directory="/server/root/$last_directory"

# Checkout the project to the target directory
svn checkout "$file_path" "$target_directory"

In this approach, we leverage the ${file_path##*/} expression, which trims the longest match of */ from the beginning of the file_path variable. The result is directly stored in last_directory.

Time to Take Action! 🚀

Now that you have the easy solutions to extract the last directory name in Bash, it's time to put them into action! Customize the code to fit your specific needs and integrate it into your post-commit hook for SVN on your development server. Experience the joy of automated checkouts to the correct sub-directory for immediate live updates.

If you found this post helpful, share it with your fellow developers and spread the knowledge! Also, feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or alternative approaches to share. Happy coding! 😄