Python – Check If File or Directory Exists

Written by Rahul, Updated on April 4, 2017

The Python os.path module is used for common file or directory pathename’s manipulations. The method isfile() of this module is used to check if any file is available or not. Similarly exists() function returns true for files and directory exists.

#1. Python – Check if File Exists

For example, To test how isfile() and exists() functions work. Create a TestFile.py file using following content and execute it python.

isfile() – function check if given input file exists and is a file not directory.
exists() – function check if given input file exists. It doesn’t matter its a file or directory.

import os.path

print os.path.isfile("/etc/hosts")       #True
print os.path.isfile("/etc")             #False
print os.path.isfile("/does/not/exist")  #False
print os.path.exists("/etc/hosts")       #True
print os.path.exists("/etc")             #True
print os.path.exists("/does/not/exist")  #False

import os.path

print os.path.isfile("/etc/hosts") #True

print os.path.isfile("/etc") #False

print os.path.isfile("/does/not/exist") #False

print os.path.exists("/etc/hosts") #True

print os.path.exists("/etc") #True

print os.path.exists("/does/not/exist") #False

Python >= 3.4 users can use object oriented approach to check if file exist or not. we need to import Path from the pathlib module.

from pathlib import Path

fileName = Path("/etc/hosts")

if fileName.is_file():
    print ("File exist")
else:
    print ("File not exist")

from pathlib import Path

fileName = Path("/etc/hosts")

if fileName.is_file():

print ("File exist")

else:

print ("File not exist")

#2. Python – Check if File Readable

You can also check if file exists and readable for current users in Python.

import os.path

if os.path.isfile('/etc/hosts') and os.access('/etc/hosts', os.R_OK):
    print "File exists and is readable"
else:
    print "Either file is missing or is not readable"

import os.path

if os.path.isfile('/etc/hosts') and os.access('/etc/hosts', os.R_OK):

print "File exists and is readable"

else:

print "Either file is missing or is not readable"

#3. Python – Check if Link File

Use os.path.islink to find if any file is a link file.

import os.path

if os.path.isfile("/etc/hosts") and os.path.islink("/etc/hosts"):
    print "This is a link file"
else:
    print "This is actual file"

import os.path

if os.path.isfile("/etc/hosts") and os.path.islink("/etc/hosts"):

print "This is a link file"

else:

print "This is actual file"

#4. Python – Create Directory if not Exists

Use os.path.exists to check if any directory exists or not and use os.makedirs to create a directory. Below example will create directory /tmp/newdir if not exists.

if not os.path.exists('/tmp/newdir'):
    os.makedirs('/tmp/newdir')

1 2	if not os.path.exists('/tmp/newdir'): os.makedirs('/tmp/newdir')

Python – Check If File or Directory Exists

#1. Python – Check if File Exists

#2. Python – Check if File Readable

#3. Python – Check if Link File

#4. Python – Create Directory if not Exists

Rahul

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