docs: def make_output_directory(output_path: str) -> str:
      """
      Creates the parent directory or directories for the specified output path
      if they do not already exist to prevent incomplete directory path errors
      during copying/writing operations.
  
      :param output_path:
          The path of the destination file or directory that will be written.
      :return:
          The absolute path to the output directory that was created if missing
          or already existed.
      """
  
      output_directory = os.path.dirname(environ.paths.clean(output_path))
  
      if not os.path.exists(output_directory):
          os.makedirs(output_directory)
  
      return output_directory