Skip to main content

How to check if a file exists in Python

How to check if a file exists in Python.

Here's a detailed step-by-step tutorial on how to check if a file exists in Python.

Step 1: Import the os module​

Start by importing the os module, which provides a way to interact with the operating system.

import os

Step 2: Specify the file path​

Next, you need to specify the file path of the file you want to check. This can be an absolute path (e.g., /path/to/file.txt) or a relative path (e.g., file.txt).

file_path = '/path/to/file.txt'

Step 3: Use the os.path.exists() function​

To check if a file exists, use the os.path.exists() function and pass in the file path as an argument. This function returns True if the file exists and False otherwise.

if os.path.exists(file_path):
    print("File exists")
else:
    print("File does not exist")

Alternatively, you can use the os.path.isfile() function to check if the path corresponds to a regular file (not a directory or a symbolic link).

if os.path.isfile(file_path):
    print("File exists")
else:
    print("File does not exist")

Step 4: Handle exceptions (optional)​

If the file path is invalid or inaccessible, the os.path.exists() and os.path.isfile() functions may raise an exception. To handle these cases, you can wrap the code inside a try-except block.

try:
    if os.path.exists(file_path):
        print("File exists")
    else:
        print("File does not exist")
except Exception as e:
    print("An error occurred:", str(e))

Additional Tips and Tricks​

Check if a file exists in the current directory​

If you want to check if a file exists in the current working directory, you can use the os.getcwd() function to get the current working directory and then concatenate the file name to it.

import os

file_name = 'file.txt'
file_path = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), file_name)

if os.path.exists(file_path):
    print("File exists")
else:
    print("File does not exist")

Check if a file exists in multiple directories​

If you want to check if a file exists in multiple directories, you can use a loop and check each directory one by one.

import os

directories = ['/path/to/dir1', '/path/to/dir2']
file_name = 'file.txt'

for directory in directories:
    file_path = os.path.join(directory, file_name)
    if os.path.exists(file_path):
        print("File exists in", directory)
        break
else:
    print("File does not exist in any directory")

That's it! You now know how to check if a file exists in Python using the os module. Experiment with these examples to understand the concepts better and adapt them to your specific needs.