PATH

PATH is a system environment variable commonly used in operating systems such as Unix, Unix-like, and Microsoft Windows. It specifies a set of directories where executable programs are located.

Overview

In computing, PATH is an environment variable on Unix-like operating systems, DOS, OS/2, and Microsoft Windows, specifying a set of directories where executable programs are located. In general, each executing process or user session has its own PATH setting.

Usage

The PATH variable is used by the operating system to find the executables invoked by a command line. For example, typing "example" at the command line to run the "example" program, the operating system will try to find this program in the directories listed in the PATH variable.

Setting the PATH Variable

In Unix or Linux, the PATH variable is set using the "export" command in a login script. In Windows, the PATH variable is set in the System Environment Variables window.

PATH in Different Operating Systems

Different operating systems have different methods for setting the PATH variable. For example, in Unix-like operating systems, the directories in PATH are separated by colons (:), while in Windows, they are separated by semicolons (;).

See Also

• Environment variable
• Command line interface
• Operating system