Showing FileNotFound Error when trying to open file from another directory in python

Question

parentDirectory
    subdr1
        -testfile.txt
    subdr2
        childdir
           -file.json
           -file2.pickle
        -fileOpener.py

I would like to read the file.json from fileOpener.py in Python using:

with open("./childdir/file.json", 'r') as f:

But I’m getting FileNotFoundError.

FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: './childdir/file.json'

Would anyone mind solving this issue? I’m using WINDOWS operating system.

Asked By: iAngkur

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Source

Answer 1

First of all which OS are you using ? since windows uses and UNIX based OSes use /

Bast approach would be to use path from os module like this:

import os

with open(os.path.join('childdir', 'file.json'), 'r')" as f:
    # YOUR CODE

This is a better approach because it is platform independent since it creates the path appropriately based on the OS you are on.

Answered By: Ernest Wambua

Answer 2

This is because the file you want to open is in the subdirectory of your current working directory(where the python file is present).
You need to consider 2 things here,

Depends on the OS which you’re using, it’s either ‘/’ for UNIX-based &
” for Windows-based as separator in the file’s path
we can either use the absolute path of the file and mode to open the file
or with the path sub-module of that os module.

# With absolute path in Windows 
 with open('F:parentDirectorysubdr2childdirfile.json', mode(r/a/w..)) as fl:
         # logic

or

# with os.path submodule
  import os

  with open(os.path.join('childdir', 'file.json'), mode('r/w/a/..')) as fl:
        # logic

Answered By: Faris P Y

Answer 3

If you run fileOpener.py within the subdir2 then all is well. The problem happens when you are not in subdir2. Here is the solution:

import pathlib

this_script = pathlib.Path(__file__)
json_path = this_script.parent / "childdir" / "file.json"
with open(json_path, 'r') as f:
    ...

Since pathlib is cross-platform, this code should work under Windows. I tested it under Mac and linux.

Answered By: Hai Vu

Showing FileNotFound Error when trying to open file from another directory in python

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