Server.MapPath("."), Server.MapPath("~"), Server.MapPath(@"\"), Server.MapPath("/"). What is the difference?

Server.MapPath specifies the relative or virtual path to map to a physical directory.

Server.MapPath(".")1 returns the current physical directory of the file (e.g. aspx) being executed

Server.MapPath("..") returns the parent directory

Server.MapPath("~") returns the physical path to the root of the application

Server.MapPath("/") returns the physical path to the root of the domain name (is not necessarily the same as the root of the application)

An example:

Let's say you pointed a web site application (http://www.example.com/) to

C:\Inetpub\wwwroot

and installed your shop application (sub web as virtual directory in IIS, marked as application) in

D:\WebApps\shop

For example, if you call Server.MapPath() in following request:

http://www.example.com/shop/products/GetProduct.aspx?id=2342

then:

Server.MapPath(".")1 returns D:\WebApps\shop\products

Server.MapPath("..") returns D:\WebApps\shop

Server.MapPath("~") returns D:\WebApps\shop

Server.MapPath("/") returns C:\Inetpub\wwwroot

Server.MapPath("/shop") returns D:\WebApps\shop

If Path starts with either a forward slash (/) or backward slash (\), the MapPath() returns a path as if Path was a full, virtual path.

If Path doesn't start with a slash, the MapPath() returns a path relative to the directory of the request being processed.

Note: in C#, @ is the verbatim literal string operator meaning that the string should be used "as is" and not be processed for escape sequences.

Footnotes

Server.MapPath(null) and Server.MapPath("") will produce this effect too.

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Just to expand on @splattne's answer a little:

MapPath(string virtualPath) calls the following:

public string MapPath(string virtualPath)
{
    return this.MapPath(VirtualPath.CreateAllowNull(virtualPath));
}

MapPath(VirtualPath virtualPath) in turn calls MapPath(VirtualPath virtualPath, VirtualPath baseVirtualDir, bool allowCrossAppMapping) which contains the following:

//...
if (virtualPath == null)
{
    virtualPath = VirtualPath.Create(".");
}
//...

So if you call MapPath(null) or MapPath(""), you are effectively calling MapPath(".")

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1) Server.MapPath(".") -- Returns the "Current Physical Directory" of the file (e.g. aspx) being executed.

Ex. Suppose D:\WebApplications\Collage\Departments

2) Server.MapPath("..") -- Returns the "Parent Directory"

Ex. D:\WebApplications\Collage

3) Server.MapPath("~") -- Returns the "Physical Path to the Root of the Application"

Ex. D:\WebApplications\Collage

4) Server.MapPath("/") -- Returns the physical path to the root of the Domain Name

Ex. C:\Inetpub\wwwroot

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