Comment by jmull

> For maximum correctness, you want to turn it into a file handle as soon as possible

That's not right. You want to resolve a file/folder path to a file/folder at the exact point it makes sense.

It's a problem if you're using a path when you wanted the file. The file can be switched/modified out from underneath you.

It's also a problem if you've got the file when you only wanted a reference. Now you can't simply switch/modify the file independent of the reference. E.g., maybe you want config file changes to take effect immediately and transparently.

You can also have the hybrid case, e.g., where you want the folder directly, but have a relative path to a file that is resolved late.

If you're unsure, I'd err on the side of late resolution.