#!/bin/bash
dir_resolve()
{
cd “$1″ 2>/dev/null || return $?    # cd to desired directory; if fail, quell any error messages but return exit status
echo “`pwd -P`” # output full, link-resolved path
}

# sample usage
if abs_path=”`dir_resolve ”$1”`”
then
echo “$1 resolves to $abs_path”
echo pwd: `pwd` # function forks subshell, so working directory outside function is not affected
else
echo “Could not reach $1″
fi