c++ get filename from path

To get the filename from a path in C++, you can use the <filesystem> library, which provides various functions and classes for working with files and directories. Here are the steps to extract the filename from a path:

  1. Include the <filesystem> header: 
#include <filesystem>
  1. Use the std::filesystem::path class to represent the path:
std::filesystem::path filePath("path/to/file.txt");
  1. Use the filename() function of the std::filesystem::path class to get the filename:
std::string filename = filePath.filename().string();

Let's break down each step:

Step 1: Include the <filesystem> header - The <filesystem> header provides the necessary functions and classes for working with files and directories in C++. Including this header allows you to use the functionalities provided by the library.

Step 2: Use the std::filesystem::path class to represent the path - In C++, the std::filesystem::path class is used to represent file and directory paths. You can create an object of this class by passing the path as a string to its constructor. For example, std::filesystem::path filePath("path/to/file.txt"); creates a filePath object representing the path "path/to/file.txt".

Step 3: Use the filename() function of the std::filesystem::path class to get the filename - The filename() function returns the filename component of the path. It removes the directory part of the path and returns only the filename. In the example code, filePath.filename() returns the filename component of the filePath object. To convert it to a string, you can use the string() function. Finally, you can assign the result to a std::string variable, such as std::string filename = filePath.filename().string();.

By following these steps, you can extract the filename from a path in C++.