What is the proper way to handle an incorrect directory path taken as user input?

Question

Below is a snippet of code I am trying to use to take a directory path as "raw input" from the user. I receive the following error after the input is taken from the user:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:Userslarece.johnsonDesktopPython ProgramsHello World 2", line 14, in <module>
    f = open(path, "r+")
IOError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'C:/Users/larece.johnson/Desktop/Python Programs/BostonLog.log.2014-04-01'

Notice that the .log file ending is missing from the user input.

For example, the directory and file I’m looking for is

C:/Users/larece.johnson/Desktop/Python Programs/BostonLog.log.2014-04-01.log

But the user entered

C:/Users/larece.johnson/Desktop/Python Programs/BostonLog.log.2014-04-01

Is there a particular way I am supposed to take the path from user so that Python accepts it?

This was my original code:

#f = open("C:/Users/larece.johnson/Desktop/BostonLog.log.2014-04-02.log", "r+")

# User will enter the name of text file for me
path = raw_input("Enter the name of your text file: ")
f = open(path, "r+")

Asked By: mrokeowo

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Source

Answer 1

I think you should try something like:

import sys
import os

user_input = input("Enter the path of your file: ")
 
assert os.path.exists(user_input), "I did not find the file at, "+str(user_input)
f = open(user_input,'r+')
print("Hooray we found your file!")
#stuff you do with the file goes here
f.close()

Answered By: tipanverella

Answer 2

It seems you want to check if the directory exists.

If so, see os.path.isdir.

os.path.isdir(path)
    Return True if path is an existing directory.
    This follows symbolic links, so both islink()
    and isdir() can be true for the same path.

You can do like this:

s = raw_input();
if os.path.isdir(s):
    f = open(s, "r+")
else:
    print "Directory not exists."

Answered By: Kei Minagawa

Answer 3

I figured it out… I forgot to add the file extension at the end of the file name on my directory path; I did not notice that I was cutting it off by just copying/pasting the name of my file…. the program works now… thank you all!

Answered By: mrokeowo

What is the proper way to handle an incorrect directory path taken as user input?

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