These functions are declared in the main Allegro header file:

     #include <allegro5/allegro.h>

We define a path as an optional drive, followed by zero or more directory components, followed by an optional filename. The filename may be broken up into a basename and an extension, where the basename includes the start of the filename up to, but not including, the last dot (.) character. If no dot character exists the basename is the whole filename. The extension is everything from the last dot character to the end of the filename.

# al_create_path

    ALLEGRO_PATH *al_create_path(const char *str)

Source Code

Create a path structure from a string. The last component, if it is followed by a directory separator and is neither “.” nor “..”, is treated as the last directory name in the path. Otherwise the last component is treated as the filename. The string may be NULL for an empty path.

See also: al_create_path_for_directory, al_destroy_path

Examples:

- ex_path.c
- ex_path_test.c
- ex_audio_chain.cpp

# al_create_path_for_directory

    ALLEGRO_PATH *al_create_path_for_directory(const char *str)

Source Code

This is the same as al_create_path, but interprets the passed string as a directory path. The filename component of the returned path will always be empty.

See also: al_create_path, al_destroy_path

# al_destroy_path

    void al_destroy_path(ALLEGRO_PATH *path)

Source Code

Free a path structure. Does nothing if passed NULL.

See also: al_create_path, al_create_path_for_directory

Examples:

- ex_get_path.c
- ex_path.c
- ex_path_test.c

# al_clone_path

    ALLEGRO_PATH *al_clone_path(const ALLEGRO_PATH *path)

Source Code

Clones an ALLEGRO_PATH structure. Returns NULL on failure.

See also: al_destroy_path

Examples:

- ex_path.c
- ex_path_test.c

# al_join_paths

    bool al_join_paths(ALLEGRO_PATH *path, const ALLEGRO_PATH *tail)

Source Code

Concatenate two path structures. The first path structure is modified. If ‘tail’ is an absolute path, this function does nothing.

If ‘tail’ is a relative path, all of its directory components will be appended to ‘path’. tail’s filename will also overwrite path’s filename, even if it is just the empty string.

Tail’s drive is ignored.

Returns true if ‘tail’ was a relative path and so concatenated to ‘path’, otherwise returns false.

See also: al_rebase_path

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c

# al_rebase_path

    bool al_rebase_path(const ALLEGRO_PATH *head, ALLEGRO_PATH *tail)

Source Code

Concatenate two path structures, modifying the second path structure. If tail is an absolute path, this function does nothing. Otherwise, the drive and path components in head are inserted at the start of tail.

For example, if head is “/anchor/” and tail is “data/file.ext”, then after the call tail becomes “/anchor/data/file.ext”.

See also: al_join_paths

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c
- ex_audio_chain.cpp

# al_get_path_drive

    const char *al_get_path_drive(const ALLEGRO_PATH *path)

Source Code

Return the drive letter on a path, or the empty string if there is none.

The “drive letter” is only used on Windows, and is usually a string like “c:”, but may be something like “\\Computer Name” in the case of UNC (Uniform Naming Convention) syntax.

Examples:

- ex_path.c
- ex_path_test.c

# al_get_path_num_components

    int al_get_path_num_components(const ALLEGRO_PATH *path)

Source Code

Return the number of directory components in a path.

The directory components do not include the final part of a path (the filename).

See also: al_get_path_component

Examples:

- ex_path.c
- ex_path_test.c

# al_get_path_component

    const char *al_get_path_component(const ALLEGRO_PATH *path, int i)

Source Code

Return the i’th directory component of a path, counting from zero. If the index is negative then count from the right, i.e. -1 refers to the last path component. It is an error to pass an index which is out of bounds.

See also: al_get_path_num_components, al_get_path_tail

Examples:

- ex_path.c
- ex_path_test.c
- ex_audio_chain.cpp

# al_get_path_tail

    const char *al_get_path_tail(const ALLEGRO_PATH *path)

Source Code

Returns the last directory component, or NULL if there are no directory components.

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c

# al_get_path_filename

    const char *al_get_path_filename(const ALLEGRO_PATH *path)

Source Code

Return the filename part of the path, or the empty string if there is none.

The returned pointer is valid only until the filename part of the path is modified in any way, or until the path is destroyed.

See also: al_get_path_basename, al_get_path_extension, al_get_path_component

Examples:

- ex_path.c
- ex_path_test.c

# al_get_path_basename

    const char *al_get_path_basename(const ALLEGRO_PATH *path)

Source Code

Return the basename, i.e. filename with the extension removed. If the filename doesn’t have an extension, the whole filename is the basename. If there is no filename part then the empty string is returned.

The returned pointer is valid only until the filename part of the path is modified in any way, or until the path is destroyed.

See also: al_get_path_filename, al_get_path_extension

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c

# al_get_path_extension

    const char *al_get_path_extension(const ALLEGRO_PATH *path)

Source Code

Return a pointer to the start of the extension of the filename, i.e. everything from the final dot (‘.’) character onwards. If no dot exists, returns an empty string.

The returned pointer is valid only until the filename part of the path is modified in any way, or until the path is destroyed.

See also: al_get_path_filename, al_get_path_basename

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c
- ex_physfs.c

# al_set_path_drive

    void al_set_path_drive(ALLEGRO_PATH *path, const char *drive)

Source Code

Set the drive string on a path. The drive may be NULL, which is equivalent to setting the drive string to the empty string.

See also: al_get_path_drive

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c

# al_append_path_component

    void al_append_path_component(ALLEGRO_PATH *path, const char *s)

Source Code

Append a directory component.

See also: al_insert_path_component

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c

# al_insert_path_component

    void al_insert_path_component(ALLEGRO_PATH *path, int i, const char *s)

Source Code

Insert a directory component at index i. If the index is negative then count from the right, i.e. -1 refers to the last path component.

It is an error to pass an index i which is not within these bounds: 0 <= i <= al_get_path_num_components(path).

See also: al_append_path_component, al_replace_path_component, al_remove_path_component

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c

# al_replace_path_component

    void al_replace_path_component(ALLEGRO_PATH *path, int i, const char *s)

Source Code

Replace the i’th directory component by another string. If the index is negative then count from the right, i.e. -1 refers to the last path component. It is an error to pass an index which is out of bounds.

See also: al_insert_path_component, al_remove_path_component

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c

# al_remove_path_component

    void al_remove_path_component(ALLEGRO_PATH *path, int i)

Source Code

Delete the i’th directory component. If the index is negative then count from the right, i.e. -1 refers to the last path component. It is an error to pass an index which is out of bounds.

See also: al_insert_path_component, al_replace_path_component, al_drop_path_tail

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c
- ex_audio_chain.cpp

# al_drop_path_tail

    void al_drop_path_tail(ALLEGRO_PATH *path)

Source Code

Remove the last directory component, if any.

See also: al_remove_path_component

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c

# al_set_path_filename

    void al_set_path_filename(ALLEGRO_PATH *path, const char *filename)

Source Code

Set the optional filename part of the path. The filename may be NULL, which is equivalent to setting the filename to the empty string.

See also: al_set_path_extension, al_get_path_filename

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c
- ex_android.c

# al_set_path_extension

    bool al_set_path_extension(ALLEGRO_PATH *path, char const *extension)

Source Code

Replaces the extension of the path with the given one, i.e. replaces everything from the final dot (‘.’) character onwards, including the dot. If the filename of the path has no extension, the given one is appended. Usually the new extension you supply should include a leading dot.

Returns false if the path contains no filename part, i.e. the filename part is the empty string.

See also: al_set_path_filename, al_get_path_extension

Examples:

- ex_path_test.c

# al_path_cstr

    const char *al_path_cstr(const ALLEGRO_PATH *path, char delim)

Source Code

Convert a path to its string representation, i.e. optional drive, followed by directory components separated by ‘delim’, followed by an optional filename.

To use the current native path separator, use ALLEGRO_NATIVE_PATH_SEP for ‘delim’.

The returned pointer is valid only until the path is modified in any way, or until the path is destroyed. This returns a null-terminated string. If you need an ALLEGRO_USTR instead, use al_path_ustr.

See also: al_path_ustr

Examples:

- ex_get_path.c
- ex_path.c
- ex_file_slice.c

# al_path_ustr

    const ALLEGRO_USTR *al_path_ustr(const ALLEGRO_PATH *path, char delim)

Source Code

Convert a path to its string representation, i.e. optional drive, followed by directory components separated by ‘delim’, followed by an optional filename.

To use the current native path separator, use ALLEGRO_NATIVE_PATH_SEP for ‘delim’.

The returned pointer is valid only until the path is modified in any way, or until the path is destroyed. This returns an ALLEGRO_USTR. If you need a null-terminated string instead, use al_path_cstr.

Since: 5.2.3

See also: al_path_cstr

# al_make_path_canonical

    bool al_make_path_canonical(ALLEGRO_PATH *path)

Source Code

Removes any leading ‘..’ directory components in absolute paths. Removes all ‘.’ directory components.

Note that this does not collapse “x/../y” sections into “y”. This is by design. If “/foo” on your system is a symlink to “/bar/baz”, then “/foo/../quux” is actually “/bar/quux”, not “/quux” as a naive removal of “..” components would give you.

Examples:

- ex_path.c
- ex_path_test.c

Allegro version 5.2.11 - Last updated: 2026-02-09 02:00:42 UTC