Retrieving Filename from Path

[Rob Cowie]

Hi,

Given a string representing the path to a file, what is the best way to
get at the filename? Does the OS module provide a function to parse the
path? or is it acceptable to split the string using '/' as delimiters
and get the last 'word'. The reason I'm not entirely happy with that
method is that it is platform specific. I would prefer to use a built
in method if possible.

Cheers,

Rob Cowie

[robert.dowell]

>>> import os.path

help(os.path)

Help on module ntpath:

NAME
ntpath - Common pathname manipulations, WindowsNT/95 version.

FILE
c:\data\utils\python24\lib\ntpath.py

DESCRIPTION
Instead of importing this module directly, import os and refer to
this
module as os.path.

FUNCTIONS
abspath(path)
Return the absolute version of a path

basename(p)
Returns the final component of a pathname

commonprefix(m)
Given a list of pathnames, returns the longest common leading
component

dirname(p)
Returns the directory component of a pathname

exists(path)
Test whether a path exists

expanduser(path)
Expand ~ and ~user constructs.

If user or $HOME is unknown, do nothing.

expandvars(path)
Expand shell variables of form $var and ${var}.

Unknown variables are left unchanged.

getatime(filename)
Return the last access time of a file, reported by os.stat()

getctime(filename)
Return the creation time of a file, reported by os.stat().

getmtime(filename)
Return the last modification time of a file, reported by
os.stat()

getsize(filename)
Return the size of a file, reported by os.stat()

isabs(s)
Test whether a path is absolute

isdir(path)
Test whether a path is a directory

isfile(path)
Test whether a path is a regular file

islink(path)
Test for symbolic link. On WindowsNT/95 always returns false

ismount(path)
Test whether a path is a mount point (defined as root of drive)

join(a, *p)
Join two or more pathname components, inserting "\" as needed

normcase(s)
Normalize case of pathname.

Makes all characters lowercase and all slashes into
backslashes.

normpath(path)
Normalize path, eliminating double slashes, etc.

realpath = abspath(path)
Return the absolute version of a path

split(p)
Split a pathname.

Return tuple (head, tail) where tail is everything after the
final slash.
Either part may be empty.

splitdrive(p)
Split a pathname into drive and path specifiers. Returns a
2-tuple
"(drive,path)"; either part may be empty

splitext(p)
Split the extension from a pathname.

Extension is everything from the last dot to the end.
Return (root, ext), either part may be empty.

splitunc(p)
Split a pathname into UNC mount point and relative path
specifiers.

Return a 2-tuple (unc, rest); either part may be empty.
If unc is not empty, it has the form '//host/mount' (or similar
using backslashes). unc+rest is always the input path.
Paths containing drive letters never have an UNC part.

walk(top, func, arg)
Directory tree walk with callback function.

For each directory in the directory tree rooted at top
(including top
itself, but excluding '.' and '..'), call func(arg, dirname,
fnames).
dirname is the name of the directory, and fnames a list of the
names of
the files and subdirectories in dirname (excluding '.' and
'..'). func
may modify the fnames list in-place (e.g. via del or slice
assignment),
and walk will only recurse into the subdirectories whose names
remain in
fnames; this can be used to implement a filter, or to impose a
specific
order of visiting. No semantics are defined for, or required
of, arg,
beyond that arg is always passed to func. It can be used,
e.g., to pass
a filename pattern, or a mutable object designed to accumulate
statistics. Passing None for arg is common.

DATA
__all__ = ['normcase', 'isabs', 'join', 'splitdrive', 'split',
'splite...
altsep = '/'
curdir = '.'
defpath = r'.;C:\bin'
devnull = 'nul'
extsep = '.'
pardir = '..'
pathsep = ';'
sep = r'\'
supports_unicode_filenames = True


Rob Cowie wrote: Hi,

Given a string representing the path to a file, what is the best way to
get at the filename? Does the OS module provide a function to parse the
path? or is it acceptable to split the string using '/' as delimiters
and get the last 'word'. The reason I'm not entirely happy with that
method is that it is platform specific. I would prefer to use a built
in method if possible.

Cheers,

Rob Cowie

[Rob Cowie]

Thanks,

os.path.basename(filePath) it is then.

BTW, the help(module) function is new to me! Must have missed it when
reading the tutorial.

Cheers!