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# Path Resolution
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Core path resolution functionality for converting relative paths to absolute paths, normalizing path structures, and determining path types.
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## Capabilities
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### Resolve
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Resolves a sequence of paths or path segments into an absolute path. The path is built by processing each path segment from right to left, prepending each subsequent path until an absolute path is constructed.
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```javascript { .api }
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/**
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 * Resolves a sequence of paths to an absolute path
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 * @param {...string} paths - Path segments to resolve (processed right to left)
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 * @returns {string} Absolute path resolved from current working directory
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 * @throws {TypeError} If any argument is not a string
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 */
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function resolve(...paths: string[]): string;
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```javascript
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const path = require("path");
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// Resolve from current working directory
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path.resolve("docs", "readme.md");
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// If cwd is /home/user: "/home/user/docs/readme.md"
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// Resolve with absolute path segment
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path.resolve("/users", "john", "../jane", "file.txt");
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// Result: "/users/jane/file.txt"
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// Multiple relative segments
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path.resolve("..", "src", "index.js");
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// Resolves relative to parent directory
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// Empty path defaults to current directory
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path.resolve("");
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// Same as process.cwd()
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```
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**Platform Differences:**
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```javascript
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// Windows
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path.win32.resolve("C:", "temp", "file.txt");
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// Result: "C:\\temp\\file.txt" 
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// POSIX
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path.posix.resolve("/usr", "local", "bin");
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// Result: "/usr/local/bin"
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```
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### Normalize
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Normalizes a path by resolving `..` and `.` segments. When multiple path separators are found, they are replaced with a single separator. Trailing separators are preserved.
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```javascript { .api }
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/**
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 * Normalizes a path by resolving . and .. segments
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 * @param {string} path - Path to normalize
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 * @returns {string} Normalized path
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 */
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function normalize(path: string): string;
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```javascript
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const path = require("path");
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// Remove redundant separators and resolve . and ..
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path.normalize("/users//john/../jane/./docs");
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// Result: "/users/jane/docs"
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path.normalize("../docs/./readme.md");
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// Result: "../docs/readme.md"
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// Preserve trailing slash
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path.normalize("/users/john/");
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// Result: "/users/john/"
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// Handle empty path
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path.normalize("");
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// Result: "."
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```
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**Platform Differences:**
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```javascript
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// Windows normalization
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path.win32.normalize("C:/users\\john/..\\jane");
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// Result: "C:\\users\\jane"
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// POSIX normalization  
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path.posix.normalize("/users//john/../jane");
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// Result: "/users/jane"
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```
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### Is Absolute
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Determines if a path is absolute. On POSIX systems, a path is absolute if it starts with `/`. On Windows, a path is absolute if it starts with a drive letter and colon, or a UNC path.
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```javascript { .api }
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/**
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 * Determines if a path is absolute
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 * @param {string} path - Path to test
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 * @returns {boolean} True if path is absolute
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 */
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function isAbsolute(path: string): boolean;
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```javascript
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const path = require("path");
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// POSIX absolute paths
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path.posix.isAbsolute("/home/user");     // true
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path.posix.isAbsolute("home/user");      // false
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path.posix.isAbsolute("../docs");        // false
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// Windows absolute paths
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path.win32.isAbsolute("C:\\Users\\John"); // true
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path.win32.isAbsolute("\\\\server\\share"); // true (UNC path)
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path.win32.isAbsolute("Users\\John");      // false
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path.win32.isAbsolute("C:file.txt");       // false (drive-relative)
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```
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**Cross-Platform Testing:**
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```javascript
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// Test on current platform
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path.isAbsolute("/usr/local");
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// true on POSIX, false on Windows
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path.isAbsolute("C:\\Windows");
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// true on Windows, false on POSIX
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// Force platform-specific behavior
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path.posix.isAbsolute("C:\\Windows");  // false
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path.win32.isAbsolute("/usr/local");   // false
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```