Editing Mkdir (section)

==Usage==
[[File:ReactOS-0.4.13 mkdir command 667x434.png|thumb|300px|The [[ReactOS]] <code>mkdir</code> command]]
Normal usage is as straightforward as follows:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
mkdir name_of_directory
</syntaxhighlight>

where <code>name_of_directory</code> is the name of the directory one wants to create. When typed as above (i.e. normal usage), the new directory would be created within the current directory. On Unix and Windows (with Command extensions enabled,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/mkdir.mspx?mfr=true|title=Microsoft Windows XP - Mkdir|publisher=Microsoft|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722020802/http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/mkdir.mspx?mfr=true|archive-date=July 22, 2016|access-date=25 October 2012}}</ref> the default<ref>{{cite web|title=Microsoft Windows XP - Cmd|url=http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/cmd.mspx?mfr=true|publisher=Microsoft|access-date=25 October 2012}}</ref>), multiple directories can be specified, and <code>mkdir</code> will try to create all of them.

===Options===
On Unix-like operating systems, <code>mkdir</code> takes options.  The options are:
* <code>-p (--parents)</code>: ''parents'' or ''path'', will also create all directories leading up to the given directory that do not exist already. For example, <code>mkdir -p a/b</code> will create directory <code>a</code> if it doesn't exist, then will create directory <code>b</code> inside directory <code>a</code>. If the given directory already exists, ignore the error.
* <code>-m (--mode)</code>: ''mode'', specify the [[File system permissions#Numeric notation|octal permissions]] of directories created by <code>mkdir</code> .
<code>-p</code> is most often used when using <code>mkdir</code> to build up complex directory hierarchies, in case a necessary directory is missing or already there.  <code>-m</code> is commonly used to lock down temporary directories used by [[shell script]]s.

===Examples===
An example of <code>-p</code> in action is:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
mkdir -p /tmp/a/b/c
</syntaxhighlight>

If <code>/tmp/a</code> exists but <code>/tmp/a/b</code> does not, <code>mkdir</code> will create <code>/tmp/a/b</code> before creating <code>/tmp/a/b/c</code>.

And an even more powerful command, creating a full tree at once (this however is a [[shell (computing)|Shell]] extension, nothing mkdir does itself):

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
mkdir -p tmpdir/{trunk/sources/{includes,docs},branches,tags}
</syntaxhighlight>

If one is using variables with mkdir in a bash script, [[POSIX]] `special' built-in command 'eval' would serve its purpose.

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
DOMAIN_NAME=includes,docs
eval "mkdir -p tmpdir/{trunk/sources/{${DOMAIN_NAME}},branches,tags}"
</syntaxhighlight>

This will create:
<syntaxhighlight lang="text">
          tmpdir
    ________|______
   |        |      |
branches   tags  trunk
                   |
                 sources
               ____|_____
              |          |
          includes     docs
</syntaxhighlight>