Python OS module provides the facility to establish the interaction between the user and the operating system. It offers many useful OS functions that are used to perform OS-based tasks and get related information about operating system.
The OS comes under Python’s standard utility modules. This module offers a portable way of using operating system dependent functionality.
The Python OS module lets us work with the files and directories.
- To work with the OS module, we need to import the OS module.
- import os
There are some functions in the OS module which are given below:
os.name()
This function provides the name of the operating system module that it imports.
Currently, it registers ‘posix’, ‘nt’, ‘os2’, ‘ce’, ‘java’ and ‘riscos’.
Example
import os
print(os.name)
Output:
nt
os.mkdir()
The os.mkdir() function is used to create new directory. Consider the following example.
import os
os.mkdir("d:\\newdir")
It will create the new directory to the path in the string argument of the function in the D drive named folder newdir.
os.getcwd()
It returns the current working directory(CWD) of the file.
Example
import os
print(os.getcwd())
Output:
C:\Users\Python\Desktop\ModuleOS
os.chdir()
The os module provides the chdir() function to change the current working directory.
import os
os.chdir("d:\\")
Output:
d:\\
os.rmdir()
The rmdir() function removes the specified directory with an absolute or related path. First, we have to change the current working directory and remove the folder.
Example
import os
# It will throw a Permission error; that's why we have to change the current working directory.
os.rmdir("d:\\newdir")
os.chdir("..")
os.rmdir("newdir")
os.error()
The os.error() function defines the OS level errors. It raises OSError in case of invalid or inaccessible file names and path etc.
Example
import os
try:
# If file does not exist,
# then it throw an IOError
filename = 'Python.txt'
f = open(filename, 'rU')
text = f.read()
f.close()
# The Control jumps directly to here if
# any lines throws IOError.
except IOError:
# print(os.error) will <class 'OSError'>
print('Problem reading: ' + filename)
Output:
Problem reading: Python.txt
os.popen()
This function opens a file or from the command specified, and it returns a file object which is connected to a pipe.
Example
import os
fd = "python.txt"
# popen() is similar to open()
file = open(fd, 'w')
file.write("This is awesome")
file.close()
file = open(fd, 'r')
text = file.read()
print(text)
# popen() provides gateway and accesses the file directly
file = os.popen(fd, 'w')
file.write("This is awesome")
# File not closed, shown in next function.
Output:
This is awesome
os.close()
This function closes the associated file with descriptor fr.
Example
import os
fr = "Python1.txt"
file = open(fr, 'r')
text = file.read()
print(text)
os.close(file)
Output:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "main.py", line 3, in
file = open(fr, 'r')
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'Python1.txt'
os.rename()
A file or directory can be renamed by using the function os.rename(). A user can rename the file if it has privilege to change the file.
Example
import os
fd = "python.txt"
os.rename(fd,'Python1.txt')
os.rename(fd,'Python1.txt')
Output:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "main.py", line 3, in
os.rename(fd,'Python1.txt')
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'python.txt' -> 'Python1.txt'
os.access()
This function uses real uid/gid to test if the invoking user has access to the path.
Example
import os
import sys
path1 = os.access("Python.txt", os.F_OK)
print("Exist path:", path1)
# Checking access with os.R_OK
path2 = os.access("Python.txt", os.R_OK)
print("It access to read the file:", path2)
# Checking access with os.W_OK
path3 = os.access("Python.txt", os.W_OK)
print("It access to write the file:", path3)
# Checking access with os.X_OK
path4 = os.access("Python.txt", os.X_OK)
print("Check if path can be executed:", path4)
Output:
Exist path: False It access to read the file: False It access to write the file: False Check if path can be executed: False