# Print the a relative path from the second directory to the first, # defaulting the second directory to $PWD if none is specified. emulate -L zsh || return 1 [[ $1 != /* ]] && print $1 && return [[ -f $1 ]] && 3=$1:t 1=$1:h [[ -d $1 && -d ${2:=$PWD} ]] || return 1 [[ $1 -ef $2 ]] && print ${3:-.} && return # The simplest way to eliminate symlinks and ./ and ../ in the paths: 1=$(cd $1; pwd -r) 2=$(cd $2; pwd -r) local -a cur abs cur=(${(s:/:)2}) # Split 'current' directory into cur abs=(${(s:/:)1} $3) # Split target directory into abs # Compute the length of the common prefix, or discover a subdirectory: integer i=1 while [[ i -le $#abs && $abs[i] == $cur[i] ]] do ((++i > $#cur)) && print ${(j:/:)abs[i,-1]} && return done 2=${(j:/:)cur[i,-1]/*/..} # Up to the common prefix directory and 1=${(j:/:)abs[i,-1]} # down to the target directory or file print $2${1:+/$1}