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Many languages provide functions to obtain the absolute path of a file. I wonder if Tex/LaTex has also such macros.

In the following example, given a file name, test if this file really exists. Then, if yes, output its absolute path(including file name) from root like /home/foo/bar/myfile or /c/Program Files/foo/bar/myfile.tex.

Example:

\documentclass{article} \ExplSyntaxOn \NewDocumentCommand\getabsolutepath{m}{ \file_if_exist:nTF {#1} { % output the absolute path of the file name #1 } {do some other things} } \ExplSyntaxOff \begin{document} % Given that the current path names "cp". A file named "a.tex" locates in its subdirectory "sub". % The typesets of the following invokations of \getabsolutepath should be absolutely the same when file "a" really exists because they refer to the same file. \getabsolutepath{sub/a} \getabsolutepath{./sub/a} \getabsolutepath{./sub/a.tex} \getabsolutepath{../cp/sub/a} \end{document}
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    tex.stackexchange.com/questions/42417/full-path-of-current-file Commented Jul 15, 2022 at 7:30
  • Thank you for this info. Anyway, I don't think this meets my requirement. Those solutions needs working with \input ...and so on. What I want is just giving a file name and obtain its absolute path from root if the file really exists. Commented Jul 15, 2022 at 8:02
  • Take a look at \CurrentFilePath Commented Jul 15, 2022 at 8:21
  • Would you show me an example? Commented Jul 15, 2022 at 8:32
  • @Ingmar \CurrentFilePath doesn't give the absolute path. You need the currfile package (and you must use the --recorder option) to get the full absolute path of a file. Commented Jul 15, 2022 at 9:37

1 Answer 1

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You can use kpsewhich although for files found relative to the working directory, you may want to have $PWD rather than . in the path so the full path is reported. This command is allowed without --shell-escape in the default configuration of texlive (and I think also miktex)

enter image description here

\documentclass{article} \def\getabsolutepath#1{\input{|kpsewhich "#1"}} \begin{document} \getabsolutepath{article.cls} \getabsolutepath{plain.tex} \getabsolutepath{\jobname} \end{document}

called by:

TEXINPUTS=$PWD: pdflatex cc434
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  • Side note, use @@input for an expandable version, I think. With some additional complications of everyeof etc. Commented Jul 15, 2022 at 13:28
  • @user202729 hmm -c appears not to work in restricted mode , I'd better edit Commented Jul 15, 2022 at 13:32
  • @David Carlisle The above code failed to pass complilation in my computer (win7+miktex). showed (e:\MyOffice\Emacs_Related\Miktex\texmfs\install\tex/latex/base\ts1cmr.fd) ( ! Missing $ inserted. <inserted text> $ l.2 e:/MyOffice/Emacs_ Related/Miktex/texmfs/install/tex/latex/base/article.cls ) Commented Jul 15, 2022 at 13:33
  • @lyl ah you need a \detokenize or locally set catcode of _ to 12 if you have fancy characters like that Commented Jul 15, 2022 at 13:36
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    texdoc texosquery and texdoc kpsewhich have more information @lyl Commented Jul 15, 2022 at 13:42

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