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.NET Development
.NET Framework 3.5
System.IO Namespace
Path Class
Path Fields
 DirectorySeparatorChar Field

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This page is specific to
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008/.NET Framework 3.5

Other versions are also available for the following:
.NET Framework Class Library
Path..::.DirectorySeparatorChar Field

Provides a platform-specific character used to separate directory levels in a path string that reflects a hierarchical file system organization.

Namespace:  System.IO
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Visual Basic (Declaration)
Public Shared ReadOnly DirectorySeparatorChar As Char
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim value As Char

value = Path.DirectorySeparatorChar
C#
public static readonly char DirectorySeparatorChar
Visual C++
public:
static initonly wchar_t DirectorySeparatorChar
JScript
public static final var DirectorySeparatorChar : char

The character stored in this field cannot be in InvalidPathChars. AltDirectorySeparatorChar and DirectorySeparatorChar are both valid for separating directory levels in a path string.

The value of this field is a slash ("/") on UNIX, and a backslash ("\") on the Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

The following code example demonstrates the use of the DirectorySeparatorChar field.

Visual Basic
Console.WriteLine("Path.AltDirectorySeparatorChar={0}", Path.AltDirectorySeparatorChar)
Console.WriteLine("Path.DirectorySeparatorChar={0}", Path.DirectorySeparatorChar)
Console.WriteLine("Path.PathSeparator={0}", Path.PathSeparator)
Console.WriteLine("Path.VolumeSeparatorChar={0}", Path.VolumeSeparatorChar)

Console.Write("Path.InvalidPathChars=")
Dim c As Char
For Each c In Path.InvalidPathChars
    Console.Write(c)
Next c
Console.WriteLine()

' This code produces output similar to the following:
' Note that the InvalidPathCharacters contain characters
' outside of the printable character set.
'
' Path.AltDirectorySeparatorChar=/
' Path.DirectorySeparatorChar=\
' Path.PathSeparator=;
' Path.VolumeSeparatorChar=:

C#
Console.WriteLine("Path.AltDirectorySeparatorChar={0}", 
    Path.AltDirectorySeparatorChar);
Console.WriteLine("Path.DirectorySeparatorChar={0}", 
    Path.DirectorySeparatorChar);
Console.WriteLine("Path.PathSeparator={0}", 
    Path.PathSeparator);
Console.WriteLine("Path.VolumeSeparatorChar={0}", 
    Path.VolumeSeparatorChar);

Console.Write("Path.InvalidPathChars=");
foreach (char c in Path.InvalidPathChars)
    Console.Write(c);
Console.WriteLine();
// This code produces output similar to the following:
// Note that the InvalidPathCharacters contain characters
// outside of the printable character set.
//
// Path.AltDirectorySeparatorChar=/
// Path.DirectorySeparatorChar=\
// Path.PathSeparator=;
// Path.VolumeSeparatorChar=:

Visual C++
Console::WriteLine( "Path::AltDirectorySeparatorChar={0}", (Path::AltDirectorySeparatorChar).ToString() );
Console::WriteLine( "Path::DirectorySeparatorChar={0}", (Path::DirectorySeparatorChar).ToString() );
Console::WriteLine( "Path::PathSeparator={0}", (Path::PathSeparator).ToString() );
Console::WriteLine( "Path::VolumeSeparatorChar={0}", (Path::VolumeSeparatorChar).ToString() );
Console::Write( "Path::InvalidPathChars=" );
for ( int i = 0; i < Path::InvalidPathChars->Length; i++ )
   Console::Write( Path::InvalidPathChars[ i ] );
Console::WriteLine();

// This code produces output similar to the following:
// Note that the InvalidPathCharacters contain characters
// outside of the printable character set.
//
// Path.AltDirectorySeparatorChar=/
// Path.DirectorySeparatorChar=\
// Path.PathSeparator=;
// Path.VolumeSeparatorChar=:

JScript
Console.WriteLine("Path.AltDirectorySeparatorChar={0}", 
                  Path.AltDirectorySeparatorChar);
Console.WriteLine("Path.DirectorySeparatorChar={0}", 
                  Path.DirectorySeparatorChar);
Console.WriteLine("Path.PathSeparator={0}", 
                  Path.PathSeparator);
Console.WriteLine("Path.VolumeSeparatorChar={0}", 
                  Path.VolumeSeparatorChar);

Console.Write("Path.InvalidPathChars=");
for (var c : char in Path.InvalidPathChars)
    Console.Write(c);
Console.WriteLine();

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Xbox 360, Zune

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 2.0, 1.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: 3.0, 2.0, 1.0
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