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{{Short description|Attribute of a process}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019|cs1-dates=y}} {{Use list-defined references|date=December 2021}} In [[computing]], the '''working directory''' of a [[process (computing)|process]] is a [[directory (file systems)|directory]] of a [[hierarchical file system]], if any,<ref group="nb" name="NB_DX10"/> dynamically associated with the process. It is sometimes called the '''current working directory (CWD)''', e.g. the [[BSD]] <kbd>getcwd</kbd><ref name="getcwd"/> function, or just '''current directory'''.<ref name="SetCurrentDirectory"/> When a process refers to a file using a [[path (computing)|path]] that is a [[relative path]], such as a path on a [[Unix-like]] system that does not begin with a <kbd>/</kbd> (forward slash) or a path on [[Windows]] that does not begin with a <kbd>\</kbd> (backward slash), the path is interpreted as relative to the process's working directory. So, for example a process on a Unix-like system with working directory <kbd>/rabbit-shoes</kbd> that attempts to create the file <kbd>foo.txt</kbd> will end up creating the file <kbd>/rabbit-shoes/foo.txt</kbd>.
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