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Creating a Platform Independent Path

Problem

You want to create a directory in a platform independent way. The directory is several levels deep and you wish to create intermediate directories as necessary.

Solution

Use the ensure_dir procedure in Erlang's filelib module.

1> filelib:ensure_dir("/what/a/great/test").
ok

Discussion

Although the above directory tree looks like a POSIX file system, if this test is run on a Windows machine you will get the expected directory tree starting at the root of the current drive (usually C:). On a UNIX platform, you will get the expected directory tree.

As always your user permissions will limit what files and directories you are able to create or modify.

Contributors

Based on work by NoelWelsh and BrentFulgham.

-- BrentAFulgham - 01 Sep 2004

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