Crate app_path

app-path

Create portable applications that keep files together with the executable.

Quick Start

use app_path::AppPath;

// Files relative to your executable
let config = AppPath::new("config.toml");
let database = AppPath::new("data/users.db");
let logs = AppPath::new("logs/app.log");

// Works like standard paths
if config.exists() {
    let content = std::fs::read_to_string(&config)?;
}

// Create directories with clear intent
logs.ensure_parent_dirs()?; // Creates logs/ directory for the file
database.ensure_parent_dirs()?; // Creates data/ directory for the file

Key Features

• Portable: Relative paths resolve to executable directory
• System integration: Absolute paths work as-is
• Zero dependencies: Only standard library
• High performance: Static caching, minimal allocations
• Thread-safe: Concurrent access safe

API Design

• AppPath::new() - Recommended: Simple, infallible constructor
• AppPath::try_new() - Libraries: Fallible version for error handling
• AppPath::with_override() - Deployment: Environment-configurable paths
• AppPath::ensure_parent_dirs() - Files: Creates parent directories for files
• AppPath::ensure_dir_exists() - Directories: Creates directories (and parents)
• exe_dir() - Advanced: Direct access to executable directory

Panic Conditions

AppPath::new() and exe_dir() panic only if executable location cannot be determined:

• std::env::current_exe() fails (extremely rare)
• Executable path is empty (system corruption)

These represent unrecoverable system failures. For fallible behavior, use AppPath::try_new().

Macros

app_path

Convenience macro for creating AppPath instances with optional environment variable overrides.

Structs

AppPath

Creates paths relative to the executable location for portable applications.

Enums

AppPathError

Error type for AppPath operations.

Functions

exe_dir

Get the executable’s directory.

try_exe_dir

Get the executable’s directory (fallible).