Listing 11 get_link_target

{
    # Echos the target filename that a symbolic link references. Returns 0
    # if $1 is a symbolic link; otherwise, returns 1.

    local FUNC_NAME=get_link_target
    ${TRACE:-trace $FUNC_NAME $@}

    local link=$1
    local target

    if [[ -L $link ]]
    then
        line=$(ls -l $link 2>&-)
        target=${line##*'-> '}
        if [[ -n $target ]]
        then
            echo $target
            return 0
        else
            ${INFO:-info "race condition: $link disappeared or changed!"}
        fi
    fi
    ${ERROR:-error "$link is not a symbolic link"}
    return 1
}