# Actual directory

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/actual-directory/150876>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [October 14, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/actual-directory/150876 "2008-10-14T14:00:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kless](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/cc9497/32.png) [@Kless](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kless)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/actual-directory/150876/1 "2008-10-14T14:00:49Z")

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Why is used _File.dirname( **FILE** )_ instead of simply ‘.’ ?

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**Author:** ![Kless](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/cc9497/32.png) [@Kless](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kless)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/actual-directory/150876/2 "2008-10-14T14:09:48Z")

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On Oct 14, 1:59 pm, Kless [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Why is used _File.dirname( **FILE** )_ instead of simply ‘.’ ?

Cause your current directory ‘.’ is not always the location of the  
ruby file, **FILE** is.