Pathlib code examples

Python’s pathlib module is a powerful tool for handling filesystem paths in a more Pythonic way. This tutorial aims to provide a clear understanding of how pathlib works, along with practical pathlib code examples that can be used in real-world programming scenarios.

1. Importing the Pathlib Module

Before we can use the pathlib module, we need to import it. We usually import the Path class from the pathlib module.

from pathlib import Path

2. Creating a New Directory

This example creates a new directory named ’new_directory’. If the directory already exists, the mkdir method will raise a FileExistsError. We handle this exception using a try-except block.

from pathlib import Path

p = Path('new_directory')
try:
    p.mkdir()
except FileExistsError:
    print("Directory 'new_directory' already exists.")

3. Creating Files

This example creates a new file named ’new_file.txt’ in the current directory. If the file already exists, the touch method will leave it untouched.

from pathlib import Path

p = Path('new_file.txt')
p.touch()

4. Reading Files

This example reads the content of a file named ’existing_file.txt’ and prints it. The read_text method returns the file content as a string. If the file does not exist, a FileNotFoundError is raised.

from pathlib import Path

p = Path('existing_file.txt')
try:
    content = p.read_text()
    print(content)
except FileNotFoundError:
    print("File 'existing_file.txt' not found.")

5. Writing to Files

This example writes the string ‘Hello, World!’ to a file named ’existing_file.txt’. If the file already exists, the write_text method will overwrite it.

from pathlib import Path

p = Path('existing_file.txt')
p.write_text('Hello, World!')

6. Appending to Files

This example opens a file named ’existing_file.txt’ in append mode and writes the string ‘Hello, again!’ to it. The with keyword is used here to handle the file object. If the file does not exist, a FileNotFoundError is raised.

from pathlib import Path

p = Path('existing_file.txt')
try:
    with p.open('a') as f:
        f.write('Hello, again!')
except FileNotFoundError:
    print("File 'existing_file.txt' not found.")

7. Listing All Files in a Directory

This example lists all files in the current directory. The glob method is used with the ‘*’ pattern to match all files.

from pathlib import Path

p = Path('.')
for file in p.glob('*'):
    print(file)

8. Checking if a Path is a Directory

This example checks if the current directory is a directory. The is_dir method returns True if the path is a directory, and False otherwise.

from pathlib import Path

p = Path('.')
if p.is_dir():
    print(f'{p} is a directory.')

9. Checking if a Path is a File

This example checks if ’existing_file.txt’ is a file. The is_file method returns True if the path is a file, and False otherwise.

from pathlib import Path

p = Path('existing_file.txt')
if p.is_file():
    print(f'{p} is a file.')

10. Deleting Files

This example deletes a file named ’existing_file.txt’. The unlink method is used to delete the file. If the file does not exist, a FileNotFoundError is raised.

from pathlib import Path

p = Path('existing_file.txt')
try:
    p.unlink()
except FileNotFoundError:
    print("File 'existing_file.txt' not found.")

In conclusion, the pathlib module provides a more Pythonic way of handling filesystem paths. It is a powerful tool that can make your code cleaner and easier to understand. These pathlib examples should give you a good understanding of how to use the pathlib module in Python for common file and directory operations. This pathlib tutorial aimed to provide practical pathlib code examples that can be used in real-world scenarios.

The pathlib module was introduced in Python 3.4, and it effectively replaces several older modules and functions, like os.path, glob, etc. It provides a more high-level, intuitive, and object-oriented approach to dealing with filesystem paths.

Pathlib for Python 2.7/3.3

The pathlib module is part of the standard library in Python 3.4 and later. Therefore, you typically don’t need to install it separately if you’re using Python 3.4 or a newer version.

However, if you’re working with an older version of Python (Python 2.7 or Python 3.3), pathlib is not included in the standard library. In such cases, you would need to install pathlib from PyPI to use it in your projects. You can install it using pip:

pip install pathlib

It’s also worth noting that while Python 2.7 and Python 3.3 are no longer officially supported, some legacy systems and projects still use these versions. If you’re working on such a system or project, you might need to install pathlib from PyPI. However, it’s generally recommended to upgrade to a newer version of Python if possible, to benefit from the latest features, improvements, and security fixes.

We hope you found this tutorial useful and informative. We ❤️ Python, if you do as well checkout our other Python code examples and articles.

About pathlib

pathlib - Object-oriented filesystem paths