Pathlib

Language: Python

CLI/Utils

Pathlib was introduced in Python 3.4 to offer a more intuitive, object-oriented approach to handling filesystem paths compared to the traditional `os.path` module. It unifies the handling of files and directories, making code cleaner, more readable, and portable.

Pathlib is a Python standard library module that provides an object-oriented interface for working with filesystem paths. It simplifies file and directory manipulations across different operating systems.

Installation

pip: Included in Python standard library (Python 3.4+)

conda: Included in Python standard library

Usage

Pathlib allows you to create, manipulate, and query file paths using Path objects. It supports operations like checking existence, reading/writing files, creating directories, iterating over directories, and handling path joins in a platform-independent way.

Creating a Path object

from pathlib import Path
path = Path('/home/user/docs')
print(path.exists())

Creates a Path object pointing to a directory and checks whether it exists.

Joining paths

from pathlib import Path
path = Path('/home/user') / 'docs' / 'file.txt'
print(path)

Joins path components using the `/` operator in a platform-independent way.

Iterating over files in a directory

from pathlib import Path
path = Path('/home/user/docs')
for file in path.iterdir():
    print(file.name)

Iterates over all files and directories inside the given path.

Reading and writing files

from pathlib import Path
path = Path('example.txt')
path.write_text('Hello, Pathlib!')
content = path.read_text()
print(content)

Writes text to a file and then reads it back using Path methods.

Creating directories

from pathlib import Path
path = Path('new_folder')
path.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

Creates a new directory. The `exist_ok=True` argument prevents errors if the directory already exists.

Checking file properties

from pathlib import Path
path = Path('example.txt')
print(path.is_file())
print(path.is_dir())
print(path.suffix)

Checks if the path is a file or directory and prints the file extension.

Glob pattern matching

from pathlib import Path
path = Path('/home/user/docs')
for txt_file in path.glob('*.txt'):
    print(txt_file)

Finds all `.txt` files in the specified directory using glob patterns.

Recursive globbing

from pathlib import Path
path = Path('/home/user/docs')
for py_file in path.rglob('*.py'):
    print(py_file)

Recursively searches for all `.py` files in the directory and its subdirectories.

Error Handling

FileNotFoundError: Ensure the file or directory exists before attempting to read or modify it.

PermissionError: Check that the program has the necessary permissions to read/write the file or directory.

IsADirectoryError / NotADirectoryError: Verify whether the path is a file or a directory before performing file-specific or directory-specific operations.

Best Practices

Prefer Path objects over string paths for cleaner and safer code.

Use `/` operator to join paths instead of `os.path.join()` for readability.

Leverage `exists()`, `is_file()`, and `is_dir()` to validate paths before operations.

Use `mkdir(exist_ok=True, parents=True)` for creating nested directories safely.

Combine Pathlib with `shutil` for advanced file operations like copy and move.

Official Docs Github