cmd:basename 

not suitable for returning empty when no fname exist:

url_path=suntong001/
url_fname=`basename $url_path`
  -- url_fname=suntong001
url_fname=`basename /$url_path`
  -- url_fname=suntong001

to remove any extension 

fn=a.b.c.ext
$ expr "$fn" : '\(.*\)\....$'
a.b.c

documented on: 2005.08.05