Get current path

Working directory

Absolute path to directory where you are executing from.

os.getcwd()

This seems like a longer equivalent:

os.path.realpath(os.curdir)

Where os.durdir is '.'.

Path to script

Path of the current file.

__file__

NB. __file__ is not defined in the interactive console.

Absolute path to the current file. Note the realpath is safer than abspath.

os.path.realpath(__file__)

Check access to 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

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

os.path.dirname(path)