File::Spec::VMS(3perl)

💖 File::Spec::VMS — the vibe ✨

okay so bestie, welcome to File::Spec::VMS</p>, a little module from the Perl Programmers Reference Guide that's all about VMS file specs. yeah. VMS. the operating system your dad's coworker won't stop talking about. it goes hard actually 🫶

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

require File::Spec::VMS; # Done internally by File::Spec if needed

like, you can type that, but honestly File::Spec already handles it for you if it needs to. it's giving "self-sufficient queen" 💅

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so for the actual rundown of what these methods do, go read File::Spec::Unix — that's where the docs live. what this package does is swap out the implementation of those methods, not the semantics. same vibe, different plumbing. no cap ✨

the default behavior here is extremely chill: it'll take either VMS syntax or Unix syntax as input, and it hands you back VMS syntax on output — unless you've explicitly asked for Unix syntax via the DECC$FILENAME_UNIX_REPORT CRTL feature. then it's Unix girl summer. 🦋

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🎀 the methods (all overrides, all iconic) 👑

• canonpath (override) — strips out the redundant bits of a file specification and gives you back the result in native syntax... unless Unix filename reporting is turned on, in which case, different story bestie.
• catdir (override) — smooshes a list of file specifications together and returns the result as a native directory specification, unless the Unix filename reporting feature is enabled. heads up: it does not check for "impossible" cases (like when something other than the first element is an absolute filespec). it just trusts you. main character energy, honestly. 🫶
• catfile (override) — takes a list of directory specifications plus a filename specification and builds you a whole path out of them. assembly required, results slay.
• curdir (override) — hands back a string representation of the current directory: '[]' or '.'
• devnull (override) — string representation of the null device: '_NLA0:' or '/dev/null' — the void, but make it a string 💀
• rootdir (override) — string representation of the root directory: 'SYS$DISK:[000000]' or '/' — the very top, the final boss, the origin story 🌈
• tmpdir (override) — gives you a string representation of the first writable directory from this list, or '' (empty string!) if none of them are writable:
  • /tmp if DECC$FILENAME_UNIX_REPORT is enabled.
  • sys$scratch:
  • $ENV{TMPDIR}

⚠️ okay important: if you're running under taint mode, and $ENV{TMPDIR} is tainted, it is not used. safety first, bestie 🧚

• updir (override) — string representation of the parent directory: '[-]' or '..' — going back up, we love a glow-up journey ✨
• case_tolerant (override) — VMS file specification syntax is case-tolerant. she does not care about your capitalization. unbothered. 💅
• path (override) — translates the logical name DCL$PATH as a searchlist, instead of trying to "split" the string value of $ENV{'PATH'}. totally different approach, and it ate.
• file_name_is_absolute (override) — checks for a VMS directory spec as well as Unix separators. both. she contains multitudes. 🌸
• splitpath (override) — here's the shape of it:

($volume,$directories,$file) = File::Spec->splitpath( $path );
($volume,$directories,$file) = File::Spec->splitpath( $path,
                                                      $no_file );

passing a true value for $no_file tells it that the path you're splitting only contains directory components — even on systems where you can usually tell directories and files apart at a glance (when you're not supporting a foreign syntax, anyway). so like, yes, sometimes she needs a hint. 🙈

• splitdir (override) — splits a directory specification into its components. chop chop 🍓
• catpath (override) — constructs a complete filespec. from scratch. no template. obsessed.
• abs2rel (override) — attempts to convert an absolute file specification into a relative one. yes, attempts. we're trying our best here 😭
• rel2abs (override) — returns an absolute file specification built from a relative one.

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💜 COPYRIGHT 💜

Copyright (c) 2004-14 by the Perl 5 Porters. All rights reserved.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

go check out File::Spec and File::Spec::Unix. and just to say it one more time because it matters: this package overrides the implementation of these methods, not the semantics. same rules, new engine, periodt. 💅

and if you want the full lore on VMS file specs, it lives here:

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/731FINAL/4506/4506pro_014.html#apps_locating_naming_files

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🌈 and that's a wrap on File::Spec::VMS(3perl), bestie!! this was generated as part of perl v5.44.0, dated 2026-10-17 — so if you're reading this from the future, hi, you're doing amazing, drink some water 💖✨🎀