Dot and Dubble Dot directory names


In a program such as the following....
-----------------------------------------------------------------
#!/usr/local/bin/perl -w

$windir = "/home/users/tony";
opendir(NT, $windir) || die "no $windir?: $!";
while ($name = readdir(NT)) { # scalar context, one per loop
print "$name\n"; # prints ., .., system.ini, and so on
}
closedir(NT);
exit;
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$name returns each of the files in the given directory. To form the absolute path of the files given by $name, you would simply combine the $windir and the $name variables like so: "$windir/$name". For example "/home/users/tony/x.txt".

My question relates to the two files '.' and '..'. Is there any function that will give the absolute path of these directories when fed $name values of '.' and '..' ? Without having to chdir to these directories, that is.

I hope I've posed my question so as to be understandable...
I've looked online and in the O'reilly books but can't find the answer.

TIA
Tony Frasketi

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