---
name: opendir
status: documented
runtime: pp
source: src/runtime/pp/directory.rs
---
```{index} single: opendir; Perl built-in (pp runtime)
```

# opendir

## Synopsis

```perl
opendir(my $dh, $dir) or die "Cannot open $dir: $!";
opendir(DH, "/tmp");
```

## Description

Opens a directory for reading via a directory handle.

Associates a directory handle with the named directory.  The
handle can then be used with `readdir`, `rewinddir`, `seekdir`,
`telldir`, and `closedir`.  All directory entries (including `.`
and `..`) are loaded eagerly into a Vec at open time.

The directory handle variable receives a numeric ID stored in the
global `DIRHANDLE_TABLE`.  Both lexical (`my $dh`) and bareword
(`DH`) forms are supported.

Returns 1 on success, `undef` on failure.

## See also

readdir, closedir, rewinddir, File::Find