Confused over GetCurrentDirectory

[ahmd]

Does each process have its current directory reset to the folder where it was started from at the beginning, or is it some sort of a global value that is not changed like that?

And the second question, what can change that current directory?

[hoxsiew]

It's part of the environment inherited by the application from the OS at execution time, so it's a little of both.

As far as I know, there's no way to change it without directly mucking with the environment table for the application and this would likely screw up many of the standard C/C++ library functions.

[MrViggy]

Changing the working directory (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa363806%28VS.85%29.aspx).

Viggy

[ovidiucucu]

Does each process have its current directory reset to the folder where it was started from at the beginning [...]
No. The current directory of a process may be or may be not the folder from where it is launched.
See for an example the lpCurrentDirectory parameter of CreateProcess (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms682425(VS.85).aspx) function.
Also it may be changed anytime by a call of SetCurrentDirectory, GetOpenFileName, and so on.

[ahmd]

Guys, I'm a bit confused. According to MSDN and the link that Viggy posted above:the current directory; it is the directory in which the active application started, unless explicitly changed., but ovidiucucu says that:No. The current directory of a process may be or may be not the folder from where it is launched. See for an example the lpCurrentDirectory parameter of CreateProcess function.

The reason I need to know this is because I'm tryin to convert a relative path to an absolute one (that path will be used in my app only) and GetCurrentDirectory seems to be the only way to do it.

[ovidiucucu]

I said the same thing in other words.

To get the directory in which the executable file is, you can call GetModuleFileName function. See this FAQ: http://www.codeguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=312471.

// there are also other Codeguru FAQs (http://www.codeguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=350759) which can make you less confused. ;)

[ahmd]

Yeah, I thought about it, but you see it's not that easy. Say, if I call CreateFile with "test.txt", where will test.txt be created?

[ovidiucucu]

Say, if I call CreateFile with "test.txt", where will test.txt be created?
In the current directory of the process.

[ahmd]

OK, I apologize for my tenaciousness, but does this mean that I need to use GetCurrentDirectory to convert that relative path to an absolute one (for my program only)?

[Ajay Vijay]

But why do you need that? If you know the current directory, or have set current directory, you need not to use absolute path.

But personally, I always prefer using absolute path (without relying on current directory, since drive change may make matter worse).

[ahmd]

I'm sorry, but the question of why I need it is not what is discussed on this thread. But since you asked, I need it to compare two file paths (that can be provided by a user) and that doesn't seem to be an easy task.

[MrViggy]

Guys, I'm a bit confused. According to MSDN and the link that Viggy posted above:, but ovidiucucu says that:

The reason I need to know this is because I'm tryin to convert a relative path to an absolute one (that path will be used in my app only) and GetCurrentDirectory seems to be the only way to do it.

I believe that ovidiucucu was referring to the directory in which the EXE itself resides.

Viggy

[ovidiucucu]

[...] I need it to compare two file paths (that can be provided by a user) [...]
That's far, far away of both thread title and OP (original post).