Editing Path (computing) (section)

==Path syntax==
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Pathing is more a feature of the file system; not the OS or the shell, but this table focuses on OS and shell :(
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The following table describes the syntax of paths in notable operating systems and with notable aspects by shell.

{{Table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable col3center col4center col5center col6center" style="font-size:90%;"
|-
! Context
! Root<br>dir
! Path<br>delim
! Working<br>dir
! Parent<br>dir
! Home<br>dir
! Examples
|-
! [[Unix]]
| <code>/</code>
| <code>/</code>
| <code>.</code>
| <code>..</code>
| <code>~</code>
| <code>/home/user/docs/Letter.txt</code><br><code>./inthisdir</code><br><code>../../greatgrandparent</code><br><code>~/.rcinfo</code>
|-
! [[DOS]] [[COMMAND.COM]]
| <code>''[drive letter:]''\</code><br>or <code>\\''[server name]''\''[volume]''\</code>
| <code>\</code>
| <code>.</code>
| <code>..</code>
| 
| <code>C:\USER\DOCS\LETTER.TXT</code><br><code>A:PICTURE.JPG</code><br><code>\\SERVER01\USER\DOCS\LETTER.TXT</code>
|-
! [[OS/2]] [[cmd.exe]]
| <code>''[drive letter:]''\</code><br>or <code>\\''[server name]''\''[volume]''\</code>
| <code>/</code><br>or<br><code>\</code>
| <code>.</code>
| <code>..</code>
| 
| <code>C:\user\docs\Letter.txt</code><br><code>A:Picture.jpg</code><br><code>\\SERVER01\USER\docs\Letter.txt</code>
|-
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] [[Command Prompt]]
| <span style="white-space:nowrap;"><code>\</code> (relative to current working directory root)</span><br>or <code>''[drive_letter]'':\</code><br>or <code style="white-space:nowrap;">\\''[server]''\''[sharename]''\</code><br>or <code style="white-space:nowrap;">\\?\''[drive_spec]'':\</code><br>or&nbsp;<code style="white-space:nowrap;">\\?\UNC\''[server]''\''[sharename]''\</code><br>or <code style="white-space:nowrap;">\\.\''[physical_device]''\</code><ref name="w32paths">{{cite web |title=Naming Files, Paths, and Namespaces |website=[[Microsoft Docs]] |date=15 December 2022 |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/win32/fileio/naming-a-file}}</ref>
| <code>/</code><br>or<br><code>\</code>
| <code>.</code>
| <code>..</code><ref>{{cite web |title=cd |department=Windows Commands: Windows Server |website=[[Microsoft Docs]] |date=3 February 2023 |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/cd |access-date=2023-10-04}}</ref>
| 
| <code>C:\user\docs\Letter.txt</code><br><code>/user/docs/Letter.txt</code><br><code>C:\Letter.txt</code><br><code>\\Server01\user\docs\Letter.txt</code><br><code>\\?\UNC\Server01\user\docs\Letter.txt</code><br><code>\\?\C:\user\docs\Letter.txt</code><br><code><span style="white-space:nowrap;">C:\user\docs\somefile.ext:[[NTFS#Alternate data stream (ADS)|alternate stream name]]</span></code><br><code>./inthisdir</code><br><code>../../greatgrandparent</code><br>
|-
! [[Windows]] [[PowerShell]]
| <code>''[drive letter:]''/</code><br>or <code>''[drive name:]''\</code><br>or <code>\\''[server name]''\</code><br>or <code>''[PSSnapIn name]''\''[PSProvider name:][:PSDrive root]''</code>
| <code>/</code><br>or<br><code>\</code>
| <code>.</code>
| <code>..</code>
| <code>~</code>
| <code>C:\user\docs\Letter.txt</code><br><code>C:\user/docs\Letter.txt</code><br><code>\\Server01\user\docs\Letter.txt</code><br><code>cd ~\Desktop</code><br>
<code>UserDocs:/Letter.txt</code><br>
<code>Variable:PSVersionTable</code><br>
<code>Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\</code><br>
<code>Microsoft.PowerShell.Security\Certificate::CurrentUser\</code>
|-
! [[TOPS-20]] [[DIGITAL Command Language|DCL]]
| <code>''[device name:]''</code>
| <code>.</code>
| 
| 
| 
| <code>PS:<USER.DOCS>LETTER.TXT,4</code>
|-
! [[RSX-11]] MCR
| <code>''[device name:]''</code>
| 
| 
| 
| 
| <code>DR0:[30,12]LETTER.TXT;4</code>
|-
! [[OpenVMS]] [[DIGITAL Command Language|DCL]]
| <code>''[device name:]''[000000]</code><br>or <code>''[NODE["accountname password"]]''::''[device name]''[000000]:</code>
| <code>.</code>
| <code>[]</code>
| <code>[-]</code>
| <small><code>SYS$LOGIN:</code></small>
| <code>SYS$SYSDEVICE:[USER.DOCS]PHOTO.JPG</code>
<code>[]IN_THIS_DIR.COM;</code><br>
<code>[-.-]GreatGrandParent.TXT</code><br>
<code>SYS$SYSDEVICE:[.DRAFTS]LETTER.TXT;4</code><br>
<code>GEIN::[000000]LETTER.TXT;4</code><br>
<code>SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.COM</code><br>
|-
! [[Classic Mac OS|Classic<br>Mac OS]]
| <code>''[volume or drive name]'':</code>
| <code>:</code>
| <code>:</code>
| <code>::</code>
| 
| <code>Macintosh HD:Documents:Letter</code><br><code>:fileincurrentdir</code><br><code>::fileinparent</code><br><code>:::fileingrandparent</code>
|-
! [[Apple ProDOS|ProDOS]] AppleSoft BASIC
| <code>/''[volume or drive name]''/</code>
| <code>/</code>
| 
| 
| 
| <code>/SCHOOL.DISK/APPLEWORKS/MY.REPORT</code>
<code>FLIGHT.SIMULATOR,D2</code>
|-
! [[AmigaOS]] Amiga CLI /<br>AmigaShell
| <code>''[drive, volume, device, or assign name]:''</code>
| <code>/</code>
| ''empty<br>string''
| <code>/</code>
| 
| <code>Workbench:Utilities/MultiView</code><br><code>DF0:S/Startup-Sequence</code><br><code>S:Startup-Sequence</code><br><code>TCP:en.wikipedia.com/80</code>
|-
! [[RISC OS]] ShellCLI
| <code>''[fs type[#option]:][:drive number or disc name.]''$</code>
note: &, %, and @ can also be used to reference the root<br>of the current user, the library and the current (working) directory respectively.
| <code>.</code>
| <code>@</code>
| <code>^</code>
| <code>&</code>
| <code>ADFS::MyDrive.$.Documents.Letter</code><br><code>Net#MainServer::DataDrive.$.Main.sy10823</code><br><code>LanMan::WindowsC.$.Pictures.Japan/gif</code><br><code>NFS:&.!Choices</code><br><code>ADFS:%.IfThere</code><br><code>@.inthisdir</code><br><code>^.^.greatgrandparent</code>

When filesystems with filename extensions are mounted,<br>'.' characters are changed to '/', as in the Japan/gif example above.
|-
! [[Symbian OS]] File manager
| <code>\</code>
| <code>\</code>
| 
| 
|
| <code>''\user\docs\Letter.txt''</code>
|-
! [[Domain/OS]] Shell
| 
<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><code>//</code> (root of domain)</span><br>
<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><code>/</code> (root of current node)</span><br>
| <code>/</code>
| <code>.</code>
| <code>\</code>
| <code>~</code>
| <code>//node/home/user/docs/Letter.txt</code><br><code>./inthisdir</code><br><code>\\greatgrandparent</code><br><code>~rcinfo</code>
|-
! [[MenuetOS]] CMD
| <code>/</code>
| <code>/</code>
| 
| 
|
|
|-
! [[Stratus VOS]] VOS command-line<br>interpreter
| <code>%''[system_name]''#''[module_name]''></code>
| <code>&gt;</code>
| 
| <code>&lt;</code>
| 
|<code>%sysname#module1>SubDir>AnotherDir</code>
|-
! [[NonStop Kernel|NonStop<br>Kernel]] TACL<br>Tandem Advanced<br>Command&nbsp;Language
| No root
| <code>.</code>
| 
| ''none''
| 
| <code>\NODE.$DISK.SUBVOL.FILE</code><br><code>\NODE.$DEVICE</code><br><code>\NODE.$DEVICE.#SUBDEV.QUALIFIER</code>
|-
! [[CP/M]] [[Console Command Processor|CCP]]
| <code>''[drive letter:]''</code>
| colspan="4" | no directory support, just user areas 0–F
| align="left" | <code>A:LETTER.TXT</code>
|-
! [[Apple GS/OS|GS/OS]]
| <code>'':[volume name]:''</code> or <code>''.[device name]:''</code> or <code>''[prefix]:''</code>

note: prefix may be a number (0–31), <code>*</code> (boot volume) or <code>@</code> (AppleShare home directory)
| <code>:</code><br>or<br><code>/</code>
| 
| 
| <code>@</code>
| <code>:Apps:Platinum.Paint:Platinum.Paint</code><br><code>*:System:Finder</code><br><code>.APPLEDISK3.5B/file</code>
|-
![[OpenHarmony]] (incl. [[HarmonyOS]]) exec<ref>{{cite web |title=Introduction to the Shell |website=GitHub |publisher=OpenAtom OpenHarmony |url=https://github.com/eDorUS/OpenHarmony_docs/blob/master/en/device-dev/kernel/kernel-small-debug-shell-overview.md |access-date=13 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=exec |website=GitHub |publisher=OpenAtom OpenHarmony |url=https://github.com/dashingcalico/OpenHarmony/blob/master/docs-en/kernel/exec.md |access-date=14 March 2024}}</ref>
|<code>hb set -root [ROOT_PATH]</code>
<code>hb set -p --product [PRODUCT_NAME]</code>
|<code>></code>
|<code>./</code>
|<code>../</code>
|
|<code>LOCAL>MEDIA_TYPE_>Download>Letter.txt</code>
|}

Japanese and Korean versions of Windows often display the '[[¥]]' character or the '[[Won sign|₩]]' character instead of the directory separator. In such cases the code for a backslash is being drawn as these characters. Very early versions of MS-DOS replaced the backslash with these glyphs on the display to make it possible to display them by programs that only understood 7-bit [[ASCII]] (other characters such as the square brackets were replaced as well, see [[ISO 646]], [https://www.microsoft.com/GLOBALDEV/Reference/dbcs/932.htm Windows Codepage 932 (Japanese Shift JIS)], and [https://www.microsoft.com/GLOBALDEV/Reference/dbcs/949.htm Codepage 949 (Korean)]). Although even the first version of Windows supported the 8-bit [[ISO-8859-1]] character set which has the Yen sign at U+00A5, and modern versions of Windows supports [[Unicode]] which has the Won sign at U+20A9, much software will continue to display backslashes found in ASCII files this way to preserve backward compatibility.<ref>{{cite web |website=Sorting it all Out |title=When is a backslash not a backslash? |url=http://archives.miloush.net/michkap/archive/2005/09/17/469941.html}}</ref>

[[macOS]], as a derivative of UNIX, uses UNIX paths internally. However, to preserve compatibility for software and familiarity for users, many portions of the GUI switch "/" typed by the user to ":" internally, and switch them back when displaying filenames (a ":" entered by the user is also changed into "/" but the inverse translation does not happen).