Absolute and Relative Path Normalization | Dataford Interview Questions

Given a string containing an absolute or relative path, return the correct normalized path (for example, ../var../logs should give ../logs). The function accepts a string path and returns a normalized string, removing redundant separators and . components, resolving .., and ignoring components that contain .. without being exactly ... For example, /a/./b/../c/ becomes /a/c, while a/../../b becomes ../b.

Constraints

1 <= len(path) <= 10^5
path contains only ASCII characters, including letters, periods, and /
Components are separated by /
Only an exact component equal to .. performs parent-directory traversal
The normalized result must use / as the separator

Function Signature

def normalize_path(path):

Your question is Absolute and Relative Path Normalization. Start with the requirements in the Question tab.

Run and submit as often as you like. When you're ready, talk me through your approach or go straight to the code.

Problem

Constraints

1 <= len(path) <= 10^5
path contains only ASCII characters, including letters, periods, and /
Components are separated by /
Only an exact component equal to .. performs parent-directory traversal
The normalized result must use / as the separator

Function Signature

def normalize_path(path):

Your question is Absolute and Relative Path Normalization. Start with the requirements in the Question tab.

Run and submit as often as you like. When you're ready, talk me through your approach or go straight to the code.