PHP Get name of current directory

getcwd();

or

dirname(__FILE__);

or (PHP5)

basename(__DIR__) 

http://php.net/manual/en/function.getcwd.php

http://php.net/manual/en/function.dirname.php

You can use basename() to get the trailing part of the path :)

In your case, I'd say you are most likely looking to use getcwd(), dirname(__FILE__) is more useful when you have a file that needs to include another library and is included in another library.

Eg:

main.php
libs/common.php
libs/images/editor.php

In your common.php you need to use functions in editor.php, so you use

common.php:

require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/images/editor.php';

main.php:

require_once libs/common.php

That way when common.php is require'd in main.php, the call of require_once in common.php will correctly includes editor.php in images/editor.php instead of trying to look in current directory where main.php is run.

To get only the name of the directory where script executed:

//Path to script: /data/html/cars/index.php
echo basename(dirname(__FILE__)); //"cars"

You can use dirname(__FILE__) to get the path to the directory of the current file.

Example: /path_to/your_dir/your_file.php:

// use dirname to get the directory of the current file
$path = dirname(__FILE__);
// $path here is now /path_to/your_dir

// split directory into array of pieces
$pieces = explode(DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR, $path);
// $pieces = ['path_to', 'your_dir']

// get the last piece
echo $pieces[count($pieces) - 1];
// result is: your_dir

echo basename(__DIR__); will return the current directory name only
echo basename(__FILE__); will return the current file name only