====== The cd builtin command ======

===== Synopsis =====
<code>cd [-L|-P] [DIRECTORY]</code>
<code>cd -</code>

===== Description =====
The ''cd'' builtin command is used to change the current working directory
  * to the given directory (''cd DIRECTORY'')
  * to the previous working directory (''cd -'') as saved in the [[syntax:shellvars#OLDPWD|OLDPWD]] shell variable
  * to the user's home directory as specified in the [[syntax:shellvars#HOME|HOME]] environment variable (when used without a ''DIRECTORY'' argument)

The ''cd'' builtin command searches the directories listed in [[syntax:shellvars#CDPATH|CDPATH]] for a matching directory.

The default behaviour is to follow symbolic links unless the ''-P'' option is given or the shell is configured to do so (see the ''-P'' option of [[commands:builtin:set|the set builtin command]]).

==== Options ====

^Option^Description^
|''-L''  |Follow symbolic links (default)  |
|''-P''  |Do not follow symbolic links  |
|''-@''  |Browse a file's extended attributed, if supported  |

==== Exit status ====

  * true if the directory was changed successfully
  * false if a change to the home directory was requested, but [[syntax:shellvars#HOME|HOME]] is unset
  * false if anything else goes wrong

===== Examples =====

==== Change the working directory to the user's home directory ====

<code>cd</code>

==== Change the working directory to the previous directory ====

<code>cd -</code>

===== Portability considerations =====

===== See also =====
  * variable [[syntax:shellvars#CDPATH|CDPATH]]
  * variable [[syntax:shellvars#HOME|HOME]]
  * variable [[syntax:shellvars#OLDPWD|OLDPWD]]
  * the ''-P'' option of [[commands:builtin:set|the set builtin command]]