path

(1) In communications, the route between any two nodes. Same as line, channel, link or circuit.

(2) In database management, the route from one set of data to another, for example, from customers to orders.

(3) A selected line or area in an image. See clipping path.

(4) The route to a file on a disk. In DOS, Windows and OS/2, the path for file MYLIFE located in subfolder STORIES within folder JOE on drive C: looks like:

            c:\joe\stories\mylife

The equivalent Unix path follows. Unix knows which drive is used:

            /joe/stories/mylife

Prior to the Mac OS X operating system, which is Unix based, the Mac could also use a path in certain command sequences. For example, with "hard disk" as the drive, the path is:

            hard disk:joe:stories:mylife

Using Paths
Managing your computer requires a knowledge of paths, and there are numerous instances where you use them. For example, in the Windows version of this Encyclopedia, there is a dialog box that displays the path to the location of the CDETEXT.TXT file. For more details on the Windows path and folder hierarchy, see Win Folder organization.

CDETEXT.TXT Path

This Encyclopedia dialog box (File/CDETEXT.TXT path) shows where CDETEXT.TXT is created. The file is used to accumulate multiple definitions so they can be printed all at once. For example, you might use this dialog box to change the path to your word processing folder.

File/Folder Hierarchy

These Explorer views of the Encyclopedia folder (CDE) show how the PICTURES subfolder branches off the CDE folder. Just as pictures are kept separate, the lesson lists are also stored in their own subfolder. Note that the ADDRESS field refers to the path.

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1.	(networking)	path - A bang path or explicitly routed Internet address; a node-by-node specification of a link between two machines.
2.	(file system)	path - pathname.
3.	(operating system)	path - The list of directories the kernel (under Unix) or the command interpreter (under MS-DOS) searches for executables. It is stored as part of the environment in both operating systems. Other, similar constructs abound under Unix; the C preprocessor, for example, uses such a search path to locate "#include" files.