FlexPath

A flexible C# file/resource path building utility. Never worry about about building and combining paths again!

FlexPath allows you to build paths for various platforms, agnostic to the runtime platform it is being executed on. What sets it apart from .NET tools like Path.Combine is that FlexPath tokenizes each path before reconstructing it when a combined or collapsed path is required. This allows FlexPath to retain relative path symbols like .. or . and enables you to build and collapse actual relative paths without resorting to filesystem operations like Path.GetFullPath. In the same manner, FlexPath also helps out with toublesome uncontrolled path input from e.g. command line arguments.

Parsing Comparison

• Path.Combine("DirA", "DirB/DirC") results in DirA\DirB/DirC (on windows) because of the sneaky separator in the second argument.
• FlexPath.PathRef.Combine("DirA", "DirB/DirC").WindowsPath always results in DirA\DirB\DirC instead.

Collapsing Comparison

• Path.Combine("DirA", "..", "DirC") results in DirA\..\DirC (on windows) and would require Path.GetFullPath() which has actual file system communication overhead and always results in an absolute path.
• FlexPath.PathRef.Combine("DirA", "..", "DirC").WindowsPath results in the, still possibly relative, DirC instead.

PathRef

FlexPaths functionality is built based on the PathRef struct. A PathRef is a simple representation of an absolute or relative path reference. A PathRef can be created with a null, empty or valid string already representing a path or with static utility methods.

PathRef dirBAbsPathRef = new PathRef("DirA/DirB");
PathRef dirARootedAbsPathRef = new PathRef(@"C:\\DirA");
PathRef relativePathRef = new PathRef("../DirB");
PathRef combinedPathRef = PathRef.Combine("DirA", "DirB");

Normalizing

Once a pathRef is built, it can output a normalized path for any supported filesystem, which are currently either Windows, POSIX (Unix, Mac) or LocalPath for the current runtime default.

PathRef pathRef = new PathRef("../DirA/DirB");
Assert.That(pathRef.WindowsPath, Is.EqualTo(@"..\DirA\DirB"));
Assert.That(pathRef.PosixPath, Is.EqualTo(@"../DirA/DirB"));

Rooted or absolute paths are normalized as you'd expect from Path.Combine() as well:

PathRef pathRef = new PathRef(@"C:\DirA\DirB");
Assert.That(pathRef.WindowsPath, Is.EqualTo(@"C:\DirA\DirB"));
Assert.That(pathRef.PosixPath, Is.EqualTo(@"C:/DirA/DirB"));

Navigation & Joining

A built pathRef enables you to edit it safely via navigation, modifying its path to represent the navigation. Simple navigation modifications can be done via the PointToParent and PointToChild methods.

PathRef pathRef = new PathRef("DirA/DirB");
pathRef.PointToParent();
Assert.That(pathRef.PosixPath, Is.EqualTo(@"DirA"));
pathRef.PointToChild("DirC");
Assert.That(pathRef.PosixPath, Is.EqualTo(@"DirA/DirC"));

More complex modifications can be done via the JoinWith method.

PathRef pathRef = new PathRef("DirA/DirB");
pathRef.JoinWith("DirE/../DirF"); //Relative paths are also allowed
Assert.That(pathRef.PosixPath, Is.EqualTo(@"DirA/DirB/DirF"));

Relative paths

A PathRef is relative when it does not start with a base directory but instead begins with . or ...

PathRef pathRef = new PathRef("../DirB");
Assert.That(pathRef.IsRelative, Is.True);
Assert.That(pathRef.IsAbsolute, Is.False);
Assert.That(pathRef.PosixPath, Is.EqualTo(@"../DirB"));

An absolute path can be made relative via navigation or joining paths that navigate out of the base:

PathRef pathRef = new PathRef("DirA/DirB");
pathRef.JoinWith("../../../DirC");
Assert.That(pathRef.PosixPath, Is.EqualTo(@"../DirC"));

Clearing paths

A PathRef can be emptied out with Clear()

PathRef pathRef = new PathRef("DirA/DirB");
pathRef.Clear();
Assert.That(pathRef.PosixPath, Is.EqualTo(""));

Rooting & Unrooting

PathRefs can become rooted. This is the case when you set a root segment, like a drive name.

PathRef pathRef = new PathRef("C:/DirA");
Assert.That(pathRef.IsRooted, Is.True);

A rooted PathRef will preserve its root and stay absolute, limiting navigation:

pathRef.JoinWith("../../../..");
Assert.That(pathRef.PosixPath, Is.EqualTo(@"C:"));

To unroot a PathRef it needs to be cleared completely:

pathRef.Clear();
Assert.That(pathRef.IsRooted, Is.False);

License

MIT