---
name: "revpath"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "imake"
version: "1.0.11-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/revpath"
---

# revpath(1)

generate a relative path that can be used to undo a change-directory

## NAME

revpath - generate a relative path that can be used to undo a change-directory

## SYNOPSIS

**revpath** *path*

## DESCRIPTION

The **revpath** program prints out a relative path that is the \`\`reverse'' or \`\`inverse'' of *path*. Start with two directories *top* and *bottom*, with the latter below the former, and *path* is the location of *bottom* relative to *top*. The output of *revpath* is the location of *top* relative to *bottom*. The resulting path contains a trailing \`/' character when the result is non-trivial. If *path* is equivalent to \`.', the resulting output is empty. If *path* is invalid in some way (e.g., doesn't represent the path to a subdirectory) the output is also empty and no error messages are ever generated.

## DIAGNOSTICS

There are no diagnostics. Error conditions are silently ignored, and the exit status is always 0.

## BUGS

It isn't possible to reverse arbitrary relative paths. If any path element between the two end points of *path* is a symbolic link, the results will probably be incorrect.