Understanding the various Windows file path formats

You probably already know that .NET provides managed code that hides interaction with the Windows APIs from the end user. So, it will come as no surprise that the System.IO namespace passes file path information to the Windows APIs to handle. The Windows APIs perform the required task, and then control is handed back to .NET.

File paths in .NET can be absolute, relative, UNC paths, or DOS device paths. Non-Windows files and directories are case-sensitive. But on Windows, files and directories are case-insensitive. The following table provides examples of the different Windows file path formats:

Table 7.1 – Windows path format examples

By default, Windows can only accept paths with a length of 256. As a programmer, you have probably encountered the Destination Path Too Long warning when backing up your files or moving them. A situation that can often lead to this warning is developing web projects...