How to use the command Resolve-Path (with examples)

Resolve-Path is a PowerShell command that resolves the wildcard characters in a given path and displays the contents of the resolved path. It is used to retrieve the full path of a file or directory, resolve relative paths, and handle Universal Naming Convention (UNC) paths.

Use case 1: Resolve the home folder path

Code:

Resolve-Path ~

Motivation:

By executing this command, you can obtain the full path of the home folder for the current user. This is particularly useful if you need to reference the home folder in a script or perform an operation within that directory.

Explanation:

The ‘~’ symbol is a shorthand notation for the home folder. When using the Resolve-Path command with the ‘~’ path argument, it resolves the ‘~’ and provides the full path to the home folder.

Example output:

C:\Users\Username

Use case 2: Resolve a UNC path

Code:

Resolve-Path -Path "\\hostname\path\to\file"

Motivation:

UNC paths are used to access files and directories shared on a network. By resolving the UNC path, you can retrieve the full path of a shared resource and perform operations on it.

Explanation:

The -Path parameter is used to specify the UNC path to be resolved. In this case, the example UNC path \\hostname\path\to\file is provided. The Resolve-Path command then resolves the UNC path and returns the complete path to the file or directory.

Example output:

\\hostname\path\to\file

Use case 3: Get relative paths

Code:

Resolve-Path -Path path\to\file_or_directory -Relative

Motivation:

When working with file paths, it is often useful to obtain the relative path instead of the absolute path. The Resolve-Path command can be used to retrieve relative paths for files or directories.

Explanation:

The -Path parameter is utilized to specify the path to the file or directory. In this example, path\to\file_or_directory is provided. By adding the -Relative switch, the Resolve-Path command returns the relative path instead of the absolute path.

Example output:

path\to\file_or_directory

Conclusion:

The Resolve-Path command in PowerShell is a versatile tool for resolving and retrieving file paths. It can be used to obtain the home folder path, handle UNC paths, and retrieve relative paths. By using this command, you can efficiently work with file paths in PowerShell scripts or command-line operations.