Get current path

Working directory

Absolute path to directory where you are executing from.

os.getcwd()

This is equivalent to this where os.curdir is '.'.

os.path.realpath(os.curdir)

Path to script

Path of the current file. e.g. abc.py or foo/abc.py.

__file__

Though, the variable __file__ is not defined in the interactive console.

Absolute path to the current file:

os.path.realpath(__file__)

Note that realpath here is safer than using abspath.

Directory of script

If the file is in the current working directory, the result will be an empty string.

os.path.dirname(__file__)

Absolute path to that file’s directory:

os.path.realpath(os.path.dirname(__file__))

Check access to a path

exists

os.path.exists(path)

check

# Exists
os.check(path, os.F_OK)

# Read
os.check(path, os.R_OK)

# Write
os.check(path, os.W_OK)

# Execte
os.check(path, os.X_OK)

Check type

os.path.isdir(path)

os.path.isfile(path)

os.path.islink(path)

os.path.isabs(path)

Format path

Absolute

os.path.abspath(path)

Real

The “canonical” path:

os.path.realpath(path)
  • Resolves symlinks.
  • Does not resolve ~.

Relative

Convert to relative:

os.path.relpath(path)

Expand user path

os.path.expanduser("~/file.txt")

Join

os.path.join(foo, bar)

Split

Get directory

Of a file:

os.path.dirname('foo/bar/baz.txt')
# => 'foo/bar'

Of a directory:

os.path.dirname('foo/bar')
# => 'foo'

Note if it ends in forwardslash it will just remove that.

os.path.dirname('foo/bar/')
# => 'foo/bar'

Base

Get the last part of a path - whether a directory or filename.

os.path.basename('foo/bar/baz.txt')
# => 'baz.txt'

os.path.basename('foo/bar')
# => 'bar'

If ending in forwardslash is empty.

os.path.basename('foo/bar/')
# => ''

Traverse

Parent directory

Get the parent directory of a file or directory:

os.path.dirname(path)

If you need to get the symbol for parent directory”

os.path.pardir
# => '..'