OS library<\/a> is a built-in module available with every Python installation. It provides many useful functions for Python interpreter to easily interact with OS and use its functions. Among them, os.path is a popular submodule that allows you to work with file paths and directories. It provides many different functions to check if file exists or not. You can use os.path.exists() function for this purpose. Here is its syntax. <\/p>\n\n\n\nos.path.exists(file_path)<\/pre>\n\n\n\nIn the above example, you can provide the absolute or relative path to your file. It returns true if the path exists, else it returns false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please note, if you provide relative path, then this function will look for the file relative to the directory in which this script is located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here is an example to demonstrate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
>>> import os
>>> pth = '\/home\/ubuntu'
>>> os.path.exists(pth)
False
>>> pth = '\/home\/ubuntu\/test.jpg'
>>> os.path.exists(pth)
True<\/pre>\n\n\n\nIn the first case, we provide a directory path and in the second case we provide a file path. So in the first case, it returns False and in the second case it returns True.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please note, if you are running these commands on Windows, then you may need to escape the backslash in your file paths, to avoid being misinterpreted. Here is an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
>>> import os
>>> pth = 'C:\\test.jpg'
>>> os.path.exists(pth)
False
>>> pth = 'C:\\\\test.jpg'
>>> os.path.exists(pth)
True<\/pre>\n\n\n\nAlso, if you pass a symbolic link to file path that exists, then os.path.exists() will return True. Symbolic links are treated just as actual paths. Here is an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
>>> pth = \"\/home\/ubuntu\"
>>> os.symlink(dirname, pth)
>>> os.path.exists(dirname)
False
>>> pth = \"\/home\/ubuntu\/test.jpg\"
>>> os.symlink(dirname, pth)
>>> os.path.exists(dirname)
True<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n