`pathlib`

The Python pathlib module provides an object-oriented approach to handling file system paths. It offers classes to handle different types of paths, such as POSIX and Windows, making path manipulations more intuitive and less error-prone.

Here’s a quick example:

Python
      
>>> from pathlib import Path
>>> bin = Path("/usr/bin")
>>> bin.exists()
True

Key Features

Provides classes for file system path manipulation
Supports both POSIX and Windows paths
Offers tools for common path operations like reading, writing, and iterating through files

Frequently Used Classes and Functions

Object	Type	Description
`pathlib.Path`	Class	Represents a file system path
`pathlib.PurePath`	Class	Provides an abstract class for system-agnostic paths
`pathlib.Path.glob()`	Method	Finds all matching pathnames
`pathlib.Path.mkdir()`	Method	Creates a new directory

Examples

Creating a directory:

Python
      
>>> dir = Path("new_folder")
>>> dir.mkdir()
>>> dir.exists()
True

Writing and reading a file:

Python
      
>>> file = Path("example.txt")
>>> file.write_text("Hello, World!")
>>> file.read_text()
'Hello, World!'

Iterating over files in a directory:

Python
      
>>> for file in Path(".").iterdir():
...     print(file)
...

Common Use Cases

Facilitating cross-platform path manipulations
Navigating and manipulating file system paths
Reading and writing to files in a path-oriented manner

Real-World Example

Say you want to list all Python files in a directory and its subdirectories:

Python
      
        
      
    
>>> from pathlib import Path
>>> project_dir = Path("project")
>>> python_files = list(project_dir.rglob("*.py"))
>>> python_files
[Path('project/main.py'), Path('project/utils/helper.py')]

In this example, you use pathlib to recursively find all Python files in a given directory.

Python 3 "pathlib" Module: Taming The Filesystem

Tutorial

Python's pathlib Module: Taming the File System

Python's pathlib module enables you to handle file and folder paths in a modern way. This built-in module provides intuitive semantics that work the same way on different operating systems. In this tutorial, you'll get to know pathlib and explore common tasks when interacting with paths.

intermediate python

For additional information on related topics, take a look at the following resources: