Method pathname.normalize

Overload

Makes normal full path from path that can contain special substrings etc.

public static string normalize(string path, string defaultParentDirectory = null, PNFlags flags = 0)
Parameters
path  (string)

Any path.
defaultParentDirectory  (string)

If path is not full path, combine it with defaultParentDirectory to make full path.
flags  (PNFlags)
Returns
string
Exceptions
ArgumentException

path is not full path, and defaultParentDirectory is not used or does not make it full path.

Remarks

The sequence of actions:

  1. If path starts with '%' character, expands environment variables and special folder names. See pathname.expand.
  2. If path is not full path but looks like URL, and used flag CanBeUrl, returns path.
  3. If path is not full path, and defaultParentDirectory is not null/"", combines path with expand(defaultParentDirectory).
  4. If path is not full path, throws exception.
  5. If path is like "C:" makes like "C:\".
  6. Calls API GetFullPathName. It replaces '/' with '\\', replaces multiple '\\' with single (where need), processes @"\.." etc, trims spaces, etc.
  7. If no flag DontExpandDosPath, if path looks like a short DOS path version (contains '~' etc), calls API GetLongPathName. It converts short DOS path to normal path, if possible, for example @"c:\progra~1" to @"c:\program files". It is slow. It converts path only if the file exists.
  8. If no flag DontRemoveEndSeparator, and string ends with '\\' character, and length > 4, removes the '\\', unless then it would be a path to an existing file (not directory).
  9. If no flag DontPrefixLongPath, calls pathname.prefixLongPathIfNeed, which adds @"\\?\" etc prefix if path is very long.

Similar to System.IO.Path.GetFullPath. Main differences: this function expands environment variables, does not support relative paths (unless used defaultParentDirectory), trims '\\' at the end if need.

See Also