(elisp)Kinds of Files


Distinguishing Kinds of Files
-----------------------------

   This section describes how to distinguish various kinds of files,
such as directories, symbolic links, and ordinary files.

 - Function: file-symlink-p filename
     If the file FILENAME is a symbolic link, the `file-symlink-p'
     function returns the file name to which it is linked.  This may be
     the name of a text file, a directory, or even another symbolic
     link, or it may be a nonexistent file name.

     If the file FILENAME is not a symbolic link (or there is no such
     file), `file-symlink-p' returns `nil'.

          (file-symlink-p "foo")
               => nil
          (file-symlink-p "sym-link")
               => "foo"
          (file-symlink-p "sym-link2")
               => "sym-link"
          (file-symlink-p "/bin")
               => "/pub/bin"


 - Function: file-directory-p filename
     This function returns `t' if FILENAME is the name of an existing
     directory, `nil' otherwise.

          (file-directory-p "~rms")
               => t
          (file-directory-p "~rms/lewis/files.texi")
               => nil
          (file-directory-p "~rms/lewis/no-such-file")
               => nil
          (file-directory-p "$HOME")
               => nil
          (file-directory-p
           (substitute-in-file-name "$HOME"))
               => t

 - Function: file-regular-p filename
     This function returns `t' if the file FILENAME exists and is a
     regular file (not a directory, named pipe, terminal, or other I/O
     device).


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