Split-Path

Syntax

Split-Path
     [-Path] <String[]>
     [-Parent]
     [-Resolve]
     [-Credential <PSCredential>]
     [-UseTransaction]
     [<CommonParameters>]

Split-Path
     [-Path] <String[]>
     [-Extension]
     [-Resolve]
     [-Credential <PSCredential>]
     [<CommonParameters>]

Split-Path
     [-Path] <String[]>
     [-LeafBase]
     [-Resolve]
     [-Credential <PSCredential>]
     [<CommonParameters>]

Split-Path
     [-Path] <String[]>
     [-Leaf]
     [-Resolve]
     [-Credential <PSCredential>]
     [-UseTransaction]
     [<CommonParameters>]

Split-Path
     [-Path] <String[]>
     [-Qualifier]
     [-Resolve]
     [-Credential <PSCredential>]
     [-UseTransaction]
     [<CommonParameters>]

Split-Path
     [-Path] <String[]>
     [-NoQualifier]
     [-Resolve]
     [-Credential <PSCredential>]
     [-UseTransaction]
     [<CommonParameters>]

Split-Path
     [-Path] <String[]>
     [-Resolve]
     [-IsAbsolute]
     [-Credential <PSCredential>]
     [-UseTransaction]
     [<CommonParameters>]

Split-Path
     -LiteralPath <String[]>
     [-Resolve]
     [-Credential <PSCredential>]
     [-UseTransaction]
     [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Split-Path cmdlet returns only the specified part of a path, such as the parent folder, a subfolder, or a file name. It can also get items that are referenced by the split path and tell whether the path is relative or absolute.

You can use this cmdlet to get or submit only a selected part of a path.

Examples

Example 1: Get the qualifier of a path

PS C:\> Split-Path -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft" -Qualifier

HKCU:

This command returns only the qualifier of the path. The qualifier is the drive.

Example 2: Display file names

PS C:\> Split-Path -Path "C:\Test\Logs\*.log" -Leaf -Resolve

Pass1.log

Pass2.log

...

This command displays the files that are referenced by the split path. Because this path is split to the last item, also known as the leaf, the command displays only the file names.

The Resolve parameter tells Split-Path to display the items that the split path references, instead of displaying the split path.

Like all Split-Path commands, this command returns strings. It does not return FileInfo objects that represent the files.

Example 3: Get the parent container

PS C:\> Split-Path -Path "C:\WINDOWS\system32\WindowsPowerShell\V1.0\about_*.txt"

C:\WINDOWS\system32\WindowsPowerShell\V1.0

This command returns only the parent containers of the path. Because it does not include any parameters to specify the split, Split-Path uses the split location default, which is Parent .

Example 4: Determines whether a path is absolute

PS C:\> Split-Path -Path ".\My Pictures\*.jpg" -IsAbsolute

False

This command determines whether the path is relative or absolute. In this case, because the path is relative to the current folder, which is represented by a dot (.), it returns $False.

Example 5: Change location to a specified path

PS C:\> Set-Location (Split-Path -Path $profile)

PS C:\Documents and Settings\User01\My Documents\WindowsPowerShell>

This command changes your location to the folder that contains the Windows PowerShell profile.

The command in parentheses uses Split-Path to return only the parent of the path stored in the built-in $Profile variable. The Parent parameter is the default split location parameter. Therefore, you can omit it from the command. The parentheses direct Windows PowerShell to run the command first. This is a useful way to move to a folder that has a long path name.

Example 6: Split a path by using the pipeline

PS C:\> 'C:\Documents and Settings\User01\My Documents\My Pictures' | Split-Path

C:\Documents and Settings\User01\My Documents

This command uses a pipeline operator (|) to send a path to Split-Path . The path is enclosed in quotation marks to indicate that it is a single token.

Required Parameters

Optional Parameters

Inputs

System.String

You can pipe a string that contains a path to this cmdlet.

Outputs

System.String, System.Boolean

Split-Path returns text strings. When you specify the Resolve parameter, Split-Path returns a string that describes the location of the items; it does not return objects that represent the items, such as a FileInfo or RegistryKey object.

When you specify the IsAbsolute parameter, Split-Path returns a Boolean value.

Notes

• The split location parameters ( Qualifier , Parent , Extension , Leaf , LeafBase , and NoQualifier ) are exclusive. You can use only one in each command.

  The cmdlets that contain the Path noun (the Path cmdlets) work with path names and return the names in a concise format that all Windows PowerShell providers can interpret. They are designed for use in programs and scripts where you want to display all or part of a path name in a particular format. Use them in the way that you would use Dirname , Normpath , Realpath , Join , or other path manipulators.

  You can use the Path cmdlets together with several providers. These include the FileSystem, Registry, and Certificate providers.

  Split-Path is designed to work with the data exposed by any provider. To list the providers available in your session, type Get-PSProvider . For more information, see about_Providers.

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Related Links

• Convert-Path
• Join-Path
• Resolve-Path
• Test-Path