Paths

Strings specifying file or directory locations in a file system.

file paths directory paths

In computing, paths are strings that specify the location of files or directories within a file system. They can be absolute, starting from the root directory, or relative, based on the current working directory.

The term 'path' originates from the Old English word 'pāþ,' meaning a way or track.

Paths are like addresses for files and folders on a computer, telling you exactly where to find them.

Different operating systems use different path separators, such as / on macOS and Linux, and \ on Windows
Paths can be absolute or relative, depending on how they are defined
A 'root' directory is the top-level directory in a file system

What is a path? It specifies the location of a file or directory
What's an absolute path? It starts from the root directory (e
g
, /home/user)
What's a relative path? It describes the location relative to your current directory

file system directory structure

absolute path relative path

file system

computing data structure