Symbolic-Links-with-Relative-Paths-in-Windows.md

Create Symlinks with Relative Paths in Windows

Symbolic links (symlinks) are useful for pointing to files or directories using relative paths. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating symlinks with relative paths in Windows.

Example Structure

Suppose you have the following directory structure:

C:\Repo
│
├── FolderA
│   └── FileToLink.txt
└── FolderB

You want to create a symlink in FolderB that points to FileToLink.txt in FolderA using a relative path.

Steps

1. Navigate to the Target Directory

Open PowerShell and navigate to the directory where you want to create the symlink. In this case, navigate to FolderB:

cd C:\Repo\FolderB

2. Create the Symlink

Use the cmd tool's mklink command, which handles relative paths reliably:

• For a file:

  cmd /c mklink LinkedFile.txt ..\FolderA\FileToLink.txt

• For a directory:

  cmd /c mklink /D LinkedFolder ..\FolderA

Explanation:

• cmd /c: Runs a cmd command from PowerShell.
• /D: Specifies a directory symlink (omit for files).
• ..\: Moves up one directory level.

3. Verify the Symlink

Check if the symlink was created successfully:

dir

You should see the symlink with an arrow (->) pointing to the target.

4. Add to Git

Once the symlink is created, add it to your Git repository:

git add LinkedFile.txt
git commit -m "Added symlink with relative path"
git push

Notes

1. Administrator Privileges:

   • Run PowerShell as an administrator to create symlinks unless Developer Mode is enabled.

2. GitHub Behavior:

   • Git stores symlinks as text files containing the target path. When cloning the repository, ensure the relative structure is preserved for the symlink to work correctly.

3. Developer Mode:

   • On Windows 10/11, enabling Developer Mode allows non-administrator users to create symlinks. Enable it via:
     • Settings → Update & Security → For developers → Developer mode.
   • https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5917249/git-symbolic-links-in-windows/52097145#52097145

By following these steps, you can reliably create symlinks with relative paths in a Windows environment.