(coreutils.info)basename invocation

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18.1 `basename': Strip directory and suffix from a file name
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`basename' removes any leading directory components from NAME.
Synopsis:

     basename NAME [SUFFIX]

   If SUFFIX is specified and is identical to the end of NAME, it is
removed from NAME as well.  Note that since trailing slashes are
removed prior to suffix matching, SUFFIX will do nothing if it contains
slashes.  `basename' prints the result on standard output.

   Together, `basename' and `dirname' are designed such that if `ls
"$name"' succeeds, then the command sequence `cd "$(dirname "$name")";
ls "$(basename "$name")"' will, too.  This works for everything except
file names containing a trailing newline.

   POSIX allows the implementation to define the results if NAME is
empty or `//'.  In the former case, GNU `basename' returns the empty
string.  In the latter case, the result is `//' on platforms where //
is distinct from /, and `/' on platforms where there is no difference.

   The only options are `--help' and `--version'.  Note: Common
options.  Options must precede operands.

   An exit status of zero indicates success, and a nonzero value
indicates failure.

   Examples:

     # Output "sort".
     basename /usr/bin/sort

     # Output "stdio".
     basename include/stdio.h .h