# 6.7.2 SHOW USE DIRECTORY

Part of: [6 Language](6-language.md) › [6.7 Data Introspection Language (DIL)](6-7-data-introspection-language-dil.md)

### Syntax

**SHOW** **USE** **DIRECTORY**\
[_post_processing_option_]\
[_output_redirecting_option_]

### Description

Show (i.e. get) the working directory currently in use.

### Parameter(s)

_post_processing_option_ – optional option that transforms the result set according to the programmer’s needs, such as ordering or truncating (please refer to the section [PROCESSING](6-2-processing.md) for additional information).

_output_redirecting_option_ – optional option that specifies the cursor in use, an HDF5 object (i.e. dataset or attribute), a (text, binary, or Excel) file, or memory (i.e. user-defined variable) to write the result set into (please refer to the subsection [INTO](6-3-2-into.md) for additional information). If not specified, the cursor in use is populated with the result set instead (please refer to the chapter [CURSOR](4-cursor.md) for additional information).

### Return

The working directory currently in use as an [HDFQL_VARCHAR](5-1-constants.md#hdfql_varchar).

### Example(s)

```hdfql
# set working directory currently in use to "/" 
USE DIRECTORY /

# show (i.e. get) working directory currently in use (should return "/") 
SHOW USE DIRECTORY

# create a directory named "my_directory" 
CREATE DIRECTORY my_directory

# set working directory currently in use to "my_directory" (more precisely "/my_directory") 
USE DIRECTORY my_directory

# show (i.e. get) working directory currently in use (should return "/my_directory") 
SHOW USE DIRECTORY

# create two directories named "my_subdirectory0" and "my_subdirectory1" (both directories will be created in directory "/my_directory")
CREATE DIRECTORY my_subdirectory0, my_subdirectory1

# set directory currently in use to "my_subdirectory0" (more precisely "/my_directory/my_subdirectory0")
USE DIRECTORY my_subdirectory0

# show (i.e. get) working directory currently in use (should return "/my_directory/my_subdirectory0")
SHOW USE DIRECTORY

# set directory currently in use to "my_subdirectory1" located one level up (more precisely "/my_directory/my_subdirectory1")
USE DIRECTORY ../my_subdirectory1

# show (i.e. get) working directory currently in use (should return "/my_directory/my_subdirectory1")
SHOW USE DIRECTORY

# set directory currently in use two levels up (should return "/") 
USE DIRECTORY ../..

# show (i.e. get) working directory currently in use (should return "/") 
SHOW USE DIRECTORY
```