31 Input/output library [input.output]

31.12 File systems [filesystems]

31.12.13 Filesystem operation functions [fs.op.funcs]

31.12.13.2 Absolute [fs.op.absolute]

path filesystem::absolute(const path& p); path filesystem::absolute(const path& p, error_code& ec);
Effects: Composes an absolute path referencing the same file system location as p according to the operating system ([fs.conform.os]).
Returns: The composed path.
The signature with argument ec returns path() if an error occurs.
[Note 1: 
For the returned path, rp, rp.is_absolute() is true unless an error occurs.
— end note]
Throws: As specified in [fs.err.report].
[Note 2: 
To resolve symlinks or perform other sanitization that can involve queries to secondary storage, such as hard disks, consider canonical ([fs.op.canonical]).
— end note]
[Note 3: 
Implementations are strongly encouraged to not query secondary storage, and not consider !exists(p) an error.
— end note]
[Example 1: 
For POSIX-based operating systems, absolute(p) is simply current_path()/p.
For Windows-based operating systems, absolute might have the same semantics as GetFullPathNameW.
— end example]