std::filesystem::current_path

From cppreference.com
Defined in header <filesystem>
path current_path();
(1) (since C++17)
path current_path( std::error_code & ec ) ;
(2) (since C++17)
void current_path( const std::filesystem::path & p ) ;
(3) (since C++17)
void current_path( const std::filesystem::path & p,
std::error_code & ec ) noexcept ;
(4) (since C++17)

Returns or changes the current path.

1,2) Returns the absolute path of the current working directory, obtained as if (in native format) by POSIX getcwd. (2) returns path()
3,4) Changes the current working directory to p, as if by POSIX chdir

Parameters

p - path to change the current working directory to
ec - out-parameter for error reporting in the non-throwing overloads

Return value

1,2) Returns the current working directory.
3,4) (none)

Exceptions

Any overload not marked noexcept may throw std::bad_alloc if memory allocation fails.

2) Sets a std::error_code& parameter to the OS API error code if an OS API call fails, and executes ec. clear ()
3) Throws std::filesystem::filesystem_error on underlying OS API errors, constructed with p
4) Sets a std::error_code& parameter to the OS API error code if an OS API call fails, and executes ec. clear ()

Notes

The current working directory is the directory, associated with the process, that is used as the starting location in pathname resolution for relative paths.

The current path as returned by many operating systems is a dangerous global variable. It may be changed unexpectedly by third-party or system library functions, or by another thread.

Example

#include <filesystem>
#include <iostream>
namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 
int main()
{
    std::cout << "Current path is " << fs::current_path() << '\n'; // (1)
    fs::current_path(fs::temp_directory_path()); // (3)
    std::cout << "Current path is " << fs::current_path() << '\n';
}

Possible output:

Current path is "D:/local/ConsoleApplication1"
Current path is "E:/Temp"

See also

returns a directory suitable for temporary files
(function)