What is the better way to handle system path (`/pa...

# announcements

[ValV]

What is the better way to handle system path (/path/to/file), than store it as a String? Better way to split it later by directories (path, to, file)?

[hudsonb]

If you are talking strictly JVM, then `Path`: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/nio/file/Path.html

[Dominaezzz]

If you have the time to implement the members, maybe a inline class Path(private val value: String) on multi-platform.

[ValV]

So the actual path will be stored as a String inside a Path class, won't it?

[Dominaezzz]

Yes, on the other platforms. On JVM it could be the java.nio.file.Path.

[ValV]

Also I need the path to be serialized, so, perhaps, I should not use Java's Path?

[Dominaezzz]

Oh, then definitely stick to String.

[ValV]

I was afraid of that

[ValV]

So another question: how to split it effectively? Regex or there are some better methods in Kotlin?

[Dominaezzz]

"/path/to/file".split('/') should do the trick.

[Dominaezzz]

You may have to filter empty strings.

[ValV]

Great, thanks 🙂

[fred.deschenes]

you could still use Path but serialize it as an absolute path string, as working with paths is a PITA

[joelpedraza]

"/path/to/file".split('/')

Beware the platform. / might not be the path seperator

[fred.deschenes]

seriously, paths are as much of a pandora's box as timezones and string encodings

[ValV]

Ouch, so I need Path to handle cross-platform? But it seems tricky to serialize

[ValV]

But, perhaps, I should store in a database that path with /, but convert to Path when I perform file IO operations?