iofilepaths.html

---
layout: documentation 
title: File Paths 
teaser: Classes that represent absolute, relative or shortcut paths for files and folders so that you don't have to fiddle with simple strings anymore.
navigation:
   - name: IO Overview
     link: io.html
   - name: Access
     link: ioaccess.html
   - name: File Paths
     link: iofilepaths.html
   - name: Temporary File Holder
     link: iotemporaryfileholder.html
---
<h1>File Paths</h1>
<h2>Motivation</h2>
<p>
The .Net framework uses simple <code>strings</code> to represent paths in the file system. For example <code>File.Delete(string path)</code>.
So do we in our code.
</p>
<p>
The problem is that we never know for sure whether it is an absolute or relative path. Or if it is even a path with a shortcut like <code>%AppData%</code>.
We assign strings to strings and by making a wrong assumption, we introduced a defect.
</p>
<p>
The file path classes of Appccelerate help you to make your code cleaner by using strongly typed variables.
</p>

<h2>Absolute Path</h2>
<p>
The <code>AbsolutePath</code> represents an absolute path - a rooted path.
It can be a file or folder path.
</p>
<p>
When instantiating an absolute path
<ul>
    <li>with constructor: 
<script type="syntaxhighlighter" class="brush: csharp"><![CDATA[
var absolutePath = new AbsolutePath("c:\\folder\\file.extension");
]]></script></li>
    <li>with implicit cast:
<script type="syntaxhighlighter" class="brush: csharp"><![CDATA[
AbsolutePath absolutePath = "c:\\folder\\file.extension";
]]></script></li>
</ul>
the path is checked whether it is really an absolute path. In the error case, an <code>ArgumentException</code> is thrown.
</p>
<p>
An absolute path can be converted to a <code>AbsoluteFilePath</code> or <code>AbsoluteFolderPath</code> by using one of following methods on the <code>AbsolutePath</code>:
<ul>
    <li>AsAbsoluteFilePath</li>
    <li>AsAbsoluteFolderPath</li>
</ul>
</p>

<h2>Absolute File Path</h2>
<p>
Represents an absolute file path.
</p>
<p>
It is only valid when the path is an absolute path and contains a filename.
</p>

<h2>Absolute Folder Path</h2>
<p>
Represents an absolute folder path.
</p>

<h2>Shortcut Path</h2>
<p>
Represents a path with a shortcut like <code>%AppData%</code>.
</p>
<p>
Checks whether there is an even number of <code>%</code> characters in the path.
</p>

<h2>Equality, HashCode, == and !=</h2>
<p>
All Appccelerate paths support the methods <code>Equals</code>, <code>HashCode</code> and the operators <code>==</code>, <code>!=</code>.
</p>

<h2>Implicit Conversions</h2>
<p>
All Appccelerate paths can implicitly be casted to and from string.
</p>
<p>
That means you can assign paths from strings or pass paths to methods using strings (like the one of the .Net framework).
</p>
<p>
Different types of paths cannot be assigned to each other. To prevent for example assigning a folder path to a file path.
</p>