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std::filesystem::equivalent

Defined in header `<filesystem>`
bool equivalent( const std::filesystem::path& p1, const std::filesystem::path& p2 ); bool equivalent( const std::filesystem::path& p1, const std::filesystem::path& p2, std::error_code& ec );	(1)	(since C++17)

Checks whether the paths p1 and p2 refer to the same file or directory and have the same file status as determined by status (symlinks are followed).

If neither p1 nor p2 exists, or if both exist but neither is a file, directory, or symlink (as determined by is_other), an error is reported.

The non-throwing overload returns false on errors.

Parameters

p1, p2	-	paths to check for equivalence
ec	-	out-parameter for error reporting in the non-throwing overload

Return value

true if the p1 and p2 refer to the same file or directory and their file status is the same. false otherwise.

Exceptions

The overload that does not take a std::error_code& parameter throws filesystem_error on underlying OS API errors, constructed with p1 as the first argument, p2 as the second argument, and the OS error code as the error code argument. std::bad_alloc may be thrown if memory allocation fails. The overload taking a std::error_code& parameter sets it to the OS API error code if an OS API call fails, and executes ec.clear() if no errors occur. This overload has

noexcept specification:

noexcept

Notes

Two paths are considered to resolve to the same file system entity if st_dev and st_ino of their POSIX stat structure, obtained as if by POSIX stat, are equal. (meaning, the files are locate on the same device at the same location).

In particular, all hard links for the same file or directory are equivalent, and a symlink and its target on the same file system are equivalent.

Example

#include <iostream>
#include <cstdint>
#include <filesystem>
namespace fs = std::filesystem;
int main()
{
    // hard link equivalency
    fs::path p1 = ".";
    fs::path p2 = fs::current_path();
    if(fs::equivalent(p1, p2))
        std::cout << p1 << " is equivalent to " << p2 << '\n';
 
    // symlink equivalency
    fs::path p3 = "/lib/libc.so.6";
    fs::path p4 = p3.parent_path() / fs::read_symlink(p3);
    if(fs::equivalent(p3, p4))
        std::cout << p3 << " is equivalent to " << p4 << '\n';
}

Possible output: