Variable: default-directory

default-directory is a buffer-local variable defined in buffer.c.

Documentation

Name of default directory of current buffer.

It should be an absolute directory name; on GNU and Unix systems, these names start with / or ~ and end with /. To interactively change the default directory, use command cd.

Probably introduced at or before Emacs version 1.11.

Source Code

// Defined in /usr/src/emacs/src/buffer.c
  DEFVAR_PER_BUFFER ("default-directory", &BVAR (current_buffer, directory),
		     Qstringp,
		     doc: /* Name of default directory of current buffer.
It should be an absolute directory name; on GNU and Unix systems,
these names start with `/' or `~' and end with `/'.
To interactively change the default directory, use command `cd'. */);