PowerShell: Path Filename Functions

By Xah Lee. Date: 2022-06-24. Last updated: 2024-09-05.

Check Folder / File Existence

test-path

return true if file/folder exist. [PowerShell: True, False (boolean)]

# check if file/folder exist
test-path c:/ProgramData/
# True

# check if exist and is folder
test-path c:/ProgramData/ -PathType container
# True

# check if exist and is file
test-path c:/ProgramData/ -PathType leaf
# False

Check if drive e exist

# check if drive e exist
(Test-Path -Path "e:/")

# check if a external usb drive is mounted

$destDriveLetter =
foreach ($x in @("e", "f")) {
    if (Test-Path -Path ($x + ":/")) {
        return $x
    }
}

if (-not $destDriveLetter) { throw "drive e or f no exist" }

# see also Get-Volume

Get Dir Path, File Name, File Extension

Split-Path -Parent path

return the dir part of path

# dir part
(Split-Path -Parent "C:/a/b/ff.jpg")
# C:\a\b

Split-Path -Leaf path

return just the file name.

# file name
(Split-Path -Leaf "C:/a/b/ff.jpg")
# ff.jpg

Split-Path -Extension path

return the file extension.

(Split-Path -Extension "C:/a/b/ff.jpg")
# .jpg

Split-Path -LeafBase path

return the file name sans extension.

# file core name
(Split-Path -LeafBase "C:/a/b/ff.jpg")
# ff

Split-Path -NoQualifier path

remove driver letter.

(Split-Path -NoQualifier "C:/a/b/ff.jpg")
# /a/b/ff.jpg

Split-Path -Qualifier path

get driver letter.

(Split-Path -Qualifier "C:/a/b/ff.jpg")
# C:

Join Path

This is useful in scripting. It frees you from worrying if the dir path ends in a slash.

join-path "a" "b"
# a\b

join-path "a/" "b"
# a\b

join-path "a" "/b"
# a\b

# duplicate separater
join-path "a/" "/b"
# a\b

# repeated separater are not removed
join-path "a/" "//b"
# a\\b

# drive path
join-path "c:" "b"
# c:\b

join-path "c:/" "/b"
# c:\b

Save and Restore Current Dir

These are useful in interactive use as well as in script.