@command{readlink} outputs the absolute name of the given file which contains
no @file{.}, @file{..} components nor any repeated separators
-(@file{/}) nor symbolic links.
-If the file is missing or unavailable,
-it produces no output and exits with a nonzero exit code.
+(@file{/}) or symbolic links.
@end table
@opindex -f
@opindex --canonicalize
Activate canonicalize mode.
+If any path component except the last one is missing or unavailable,
+@command{readlink} produces no output and exits with a nonzero exit code.
+
+@item -e
+@itemx --canonicalize-existing
+@opindex -e
+@opindex --canonicalize-existing
+Activate canonicalize mode.
+If any path component is missing or unavailable, @command{readlink} produces
+no output and exits with a nonzero exit code.
+
+@item -m
+@itemx --canonicalize-missing
+@opindex -m
+@opindex --canonicalize-missing
+Activate canonicalize mode.
+If any path component is missing or unavailable, @command{readlink} treats it
+as a directory.
@item -n
@itemx --no-newline