.netpathpath-combine

Why Path.Combine doesn't add the Path.DirectorySeparatorChar after the drive designator?

var actual = Path.Combine("c:", "filename");
var expected = @"c:\filename";
Assert.AreEqual(expected, actual);

Result

{Assert.AreEqual failed. Expected:<c:\filename>. Actual:<c:filename>.

Why?

Solution

  • C:filename is a valid path and is different from C:\filename. C:filename is the file filename in the current directory on the C: drive whereas C:\filename is the file filename in the root of that drive. Apparently they wanted to keep the functionality of refering to the current directory on some drive.

    This behaviour is described here in MSDN