The [[CHDIR]] statement changes the program's location from one working directory to another by specifying a literal or variable [[STRING]] path.


{{PageSyntax}}
:[[CHDIR]] {{Parameter|path$}}


{{PageDescription}}
* {{Parameter|path$}} is the new directory path the program will work in.
* {{Parameter|path$}} can be an absolute path (starting from the root folder) or relative path (starting from the current program location).
* If {{Parameter|path$}} specifies a non-existing path, a [[ERROR Codes|"Path not found"]] error will occur.
* '''A QB64 [[SHELL]] statement cannot use "CD " or "CHDIR " + path$ to change directories.'''


{{PageExamples}}
''Example 1:'' The following code is Windows-specific:
{{CodeStart}} '' ''
{{Cl|CHDIR}} "C:\"      'change to the root drive C (absolute path)
{{Cl|CHDIR}} "DOCUME~1" 'change to "C:\Documents and Settings" from root drive (relative path) 
{{Cl|CHDIR}} "..\"      'change back to previous folder one up '' ''
{{CodeEnd}}
:''Details:'' '''QB64''' can use long or short (8.3 notation) file and path names.


''Example 2:'' Using the Windows API to find the current program's name and root path. The PATH$ is a shared function value.
{{CodeStart}} '' ''
{{Cl|_TITLE}} "My program"
{{Cl|PRINT}} TITLE$
{{Cl|PRINT}} PATH$

{{Cl|FUNCTION}} TITLE$ ''=== SHOW CURRENT PROGRAM
{{Cl|SHARED}} PATH$           'optional path information shared with main module only
{{Cl|DECLARE LIBRARY}}        'Directory Information using KERNEL32 provided by Dav
  {{Cl|FUNCTION}} GetModuleFileNameA ({{Cl|BYVAL}} Module {{Cl|AS}} {{Cl|LONG}}, FileName {{Cl|AS}} {{Cl|STRING}}, {{Cl|BYVAL}} nSize {{Cl|AS}} {{Cl|LONG}})
{{Cl|DECLARE LIBRARY|END DECLARE}}

FileName$ = {{Cl|SPACE$}}(256)
Result = GetModuleFileNameA(0, FileName$, {{Cl|LEN}}(FileName$))  '0 designates the current program
{{Cl|IF...THEN|IF}} Result {{Cl|THEN}}             'Result returns the length or bytes of the string information
  PATH$ = {{Cl|LEFT$}}(FileName$, Result)
  start = 1
  DO
    posit = {{Cl|INSTR}}(start, PATH$, "\")
    {{Cl|IF...THEN|IF}} posit {{Cl|THEN}} last = posit
    start = posit + 1
  {{Cl|LOOP}} {{Cl|UNTIL}} posit = 0
  TITLE$ = {{Cl|MID$}}(PATH$, last + 1)
  PATH$ = {{Cl|LEFT$}}(PATH$, last)
{{Cl|ELSE}} TITLE$ = "": PATH$ = ""
{{Cl|END IF}}
{{Cl|END FUNCTION}} '' ''
{{CodeEnd}}
: '''Note:''' The program's [[_TITLE]] name may be different from the actual program module's file name returned by Windows.


{{PageSeeAlso}}
* [[SHELL]], [[FILES]]
* [[MKDIR]], [[RMDIR]]
* [[$CONSOLE]]


{{PageNavigation}}
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