The format of filename

[Neil Cerutti]

Where can I find documentation of what Python accepts as the
filename argument to the builtin function file?

As an example, I'm aware (through osmosis?) that I can use '/' as
a directory separator in filenames on both Unix and Dos. But
where is this documented?

--
Neil Cerutti

[Leif K-Brooks]

Neil Cerutti wrote:

Where can I find documentation of what Python accepts as the
filename argument to the builtin function file?

Python will accept whatever the OS accepts.

As an example, I'm aware (through osmosis?) that I can use '/' as
a directory separator in filenames on both Unix and Dos. But
where is this documented?

It's documented in the OS's documentation. It can be queried with os.sep
and os.altsep.

[Fredrik Lundh]

Neil Cerutti wrote:

Where can I find documentation of what Python accepts as the
filename argument to the builtin function file?

As an example, I'm aware (through osmosis?) that I can use '/' as
a directory separator in filenames on both Unix and Dos. But
where is this documented?

in the documentation for your operating system. Python doesn't do
anything with the filenames.

</F>

[Neil Cerutti]

On 2006-10-24, Leif K-Brooks <eu*****@ecritt ers.bizwrote:

Neil Cerutti wrote:

>As an example, I'm aware (through osmosis?) that I can use '/'
as a directory separator in filenames on both Unix and Dos.
But where is this documented?

It's documented in the OS's documentation. It can be queried
with os.sep and os.altsep.

Thanks. The contents of 6.1.6 Miscellanious System Information
seems to be what I'm looking for.

--
Neil Cerutti
I've had a wonderful evening, but this wasn't it. --Groucho Marx

[Neil Cerutti]

On 2006-10-24, Fredrik Lundh <fr*****@python ware.comwrote:

Neil Cerutti wrote:

>Where can I find documentation of what Python accepts as the
filename argument to the builtin function file?

As an example, I'm aware (through osmosis?) that I can use '/' as
a directory separator in filenames on both Unix and Dos. But
where is this documented?

in the documentation for your operating system. Python doesn't
do anything with the filenames.

Is translation of '/' to '\\' a feature of Windows or Python?

--
Neil Cerutti

[Leif K-Brooks]

Neil Cerutti wrote:

Is translation of '/' to '\\' a feature of Windows or Python?

It's a feature of Windows, but it isn't a translation. Both slashes are
valid path separators on Windows; backslashes are just the canonical form.

[Neil Cerutti]

On 2006-10-24, Neil Cerutti <ho*****@yahoo. comwrote:

Is translation of '/' to '\\' a feature of Windows or Python?

Well, *that* was easy to discover on my own. ;-)

Thanks for the pointers.

--
Neil Cerutti

[Fredrik Lundh]

Neil Cerutti wrote:

Is translation of '/' to '\\' a feature of Windows or Python?

Windows. Random MSDN link:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/77859s1t.aspx

Win32 operating systems support both the backslash (\) and
the forward slash (/). /.../ (However, the Windows operating
system command shell, CMD.EXE, does not support the forward
slash in commands entered at the command prompt.)

for general file naming guidelines for Windows (including the shell), see:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...ing_a_file.asp

</F>

[Tim Chase]

>As an example, I'm aware (through osmosis?) that I can use '/' as

>a directory separator in filenames on both Unix and Dos. But
where is this documented?

in the documentation for your operating system. Python doesn't do
anything with the filenames.

Windows seems to be (occasionally) doing the translation as /F
mentions:

C:\temppython
Python 2.4.3 (#69, Mar 29 2006, 17:35:34) [MSC v.1310 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright" , "credits" or "license" for more
information.

>>for line in file('subdir/test.txt'):

.... print line.strip()
....
1
2
3

>>^Z

C:\tempREM try the same filename convention from dos prompt
C:\temptype subdir/test.txt
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
C:\tempREM try with quotes, just in case...
C:\temptype "subdir/test.txt"
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
C:\tempnotepad subdir/test.txt
C:\tempREM correctly opened the text file in notepad

Windows seems to doing the translation inconsistently (I know
that comes as a shock...)

-tkc

[Neil Cerutti]

On 2006-10-24, Neil Cerutti <ho*****@yahoo. comwrote:

On 2006-10-24, Neil Cerutti <ho*****@yahoo. comwrote:

>Is translation of '/' to '\\' a feature of Windows or Python?

Well, *that* was easy to discover on my own. ;-)

Thanks for the pointers.

Some experimentation shows that Python does seem to provide
*some* translation. Windows lets me use '/' as a path separator,
but not as the name of the root of a partition name. But perhaps
this a peculiarity of the commands themselves, and not of Windows
path names in particular.

C:\PYTHON24>CD /
The syntax of the command is incorrect.

C:\PYTHON24>CD \
C:\>EDIT /PYTHON24/README
The syntax of the command is incorrect.

--
Neil Cerutti
The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on
people who are not afflicted with any church. --Church Bulletin
Blooper