std::filesystem::path::append, std::filesystem::path::operator/=

From cppreference.com
< cpplrm; | filesystemlrm; | path
path& operator/=(const path& p);
(1) (since C++17)
template< class Source >
path& operator/=( const Source& source );
(2) (since C++17)
template< class Source >
path& append( const Source& source );
(3) (since C++17)
template< class InputIt >
path& append( InputIt first, InputIt last );
(4) (since C++17)
1) If p.is_absolute() || (p.has_root_name() && p.root_name() != root_name()), then replaces the current path with p as if by operator=(p) and finishes.
* Otherwise, if p.has_root_directory(), then removes any root directory and the entire relative path from the generic format pathname of *this
* Otherwise, if has_filename() || (!has_root_directory() && is_absolute()), then appends path::preferred_separator to the generic format of *this
* Either way, then appends the native format pathname of p, omitting any root-name from its generic format, to the native format of *this.
// where "//host" is a root-name
path("//host")  / "foo" // the result is      "//host/foo" (appends with separator)
path("//host/") / "foo" // the result is also "//host/foo" (appends without separator)

// On POSIX,
path("foo") / ""      // the result is "foo/" (appends)
path("foo") / "/bar"; // the result is "/bar" (replaces)

// On Windows,
path("foo") / "C:/bar";  // the result is "C:/bar" (replaces)
path("foo") / "C:";      // the result is "C:"     (replaces)
path("C:") / "";         // the result is "C:"     (appends, without separator)
path("C:foo") / "/bar";  // yields "C:/bar"        (removes relative path, then appends)
path("C:foo") / "C:bar"; // yields "C:foo/bar"     (appends, omitting p's root-name)
2,3) Same as (1), but accepts any std::basic_string, std::basic_string_view, null-terminated multicharacter string, or an input iterator pointing to a null-terminated multicharacter sequence. Equivalent to return operator/=(path(source));.
4) Same as (1), but accepts any iterator pair that designates a multicharacter string. Equivalent to return operator/=(path(first, last));

Parameters

p - pathname to append
source - std::basic_string, std::basic_string_view, null-terminated multicharacter string, or an input iterator pointing to a null-terminated multicharacter sequence, which represents a path name (either in portable or in native format)
first, last - pair of InputIterators that specify a multicharacter sequence that represents a path name
Type requirements
-
InputIt must meet the requirements of InputIterator.
-
The value type of InputIt must be one of the encoded character types (char, wchar_t, char16_t and char32_t)

Return value

*this

Exceptions

May throw std::bad_alloc if memory allocation fails.

Notes

These functions effectively yield an approximation of the meaning of the argument path p in an environment where *this is the starting directory.

Example

#include <iostream>
#include <filesystem>
namespace fs = std::filesystem;
int main() {
    fs::path p1 = "C:";
    p1 /= "Users"; // does not insert a separator
    std::cout << "\"C:\" / \"Users\" == " << p1 << '\n';
    p1 /= "batman"; // inserts fs::path::preferred_separator, '\' on Windows
    std::cout << "\"C:\" / \"Users\" / \"batman\" == " << p1 << '\n';
}

Possible output:

"C:" / "Users" == "C:Users"
"C:" / "Users" / "batman" == "C:Users\\batman"

See also

concatenates two paths without introducing a directory separator
(public member function)
concatenates two paths with a directory separator
(function)