Python pathlib — Modern File Paths

pathlibpathlib provides an object-oriented way to work with filesystem paths. Instead of juggling strings and os.path.joinos.path.join, you use a PathPath object with clean attributes and methods that work the same on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

quickstart.py

from pathlib import Path
 
p = Path("data") / "reports" / "2025.csv"   # join with the / operator
print(p)            # data/reports/2025.csv  (uses the OS separator)
print(p.name)       # 2025.csv
print(p.suffix)     # .csv
print(p.parent)     # data/reports

quickstart.py

from pathlib import Path
 
p = Path("data") / "reports" / "2025.csv"   # join with the / operator
print(p)            # data/reports/2025.csv  (uses the OS separator)
print(p.name)       # 2025.csv
print(p.suffix)     # .csv
print(p.parent)     # data/reports

Why pathlib over os.path?

`os.pathos.path` (old)	`pathlibpathlib` (modern)
`os.path.join(a, b)os.path.join(a, b)`	`Path(a) / bPath(a) / b`
`os.path.basename(p)os.path.basename(p)`	`p.namep.name`
`os.path.splitext(p)[1]os.path.splitext(p)[1]`	`p.suffixp.suffix`
`os.path.exists(p)os.path.exists(p)`	`p.exists()p.exists()`
Strings everywhere.	One tidy object.

Building paths

Use the // operator to join parts — it’s readable and cross-platform.

building.py

from pathlib import Path
 
base = Path("/home/user")
config = base / "app" / "config.json"
print(config)                 # /home/user/app/config.json
 
# Current working directory and home directory
print(Path.cwd())             # where the script runs
print(Path.home())            # the user's home folder

building.py

from pathlib import Path
 
base = Path("/home/user")
config = base / "app" / "config.json"
print(config)                 # /home/user/app/config.json
 
# Current working directory and home directory
print(Path.cwd())             # where the script runs
print(Path.home())            # the user's home folder

Inspecting a path

Attribute / method	Returns
`p.namep.name`	Final component (`2025.csv2025.csv`).
`p.stemp.stem`	Name without suffix (`20252025`).
`p.suffixp.suffix`	The extension (`.csv.csv`).
`p.parentp.parent`	The containing directory.
`p.partsp.parts`	A tuple of all components.
`p.with_suffix(".txt")p.with_suffix(".txt")`	A new path with a changed extension.
`p.with_name("new.csv")p.with_name("new.csv")`	A new path with a changed final name.

inspecting.py

from pathlib import Path
 
p = Path("reports/q1/sales.csv")
print(p.name)               # sales.csv
print(p.stem)               # sales
print(p.suffix)             # .csv
print(p.parent)             # reports/q1
print(p.parts)              # ('reports', 'q1', 'sales.csv')
print(p.with_suffix(".json"))  # reports/q1/sales.json

inspecting.py

from pathlib import Path
 
p = Path("reports/q1/sales.csv")
print(p.name)               # sales.csv
print(p.stem)               # sales
print(p.suffix)             # .csv
print(p.parent)             # reports/q1
print(p.parts)              # ('reports', 'q1', 'sales.csv')
print(p.with_suffix(".json"))  # reports/q1/sales.json

Checking existence and type

checks.py

from pathlib import Path
 
p = Path("notes.txt")
print(p.exists())     # True if the path exists
print(p.is_file())    # True if it's a file
print(p.is_dir())     # True if it's a directory

checks.py

from pathlib import Path
 
p = Path("notes.txt")
print(p.exists())     # True if the path exists
print(p.is_file())    # True if it's a file
print(p.is_dir())     # True if it's a directory

Reading and writing files

pathlibpathlib can read and write whole files in one line — no open()open() boilerplate for simple cases.

read_write.py

from pathlib import Path
 
p = Path("greeting.txt")
p.write_text("Hello, file!", encoding="utf-8")   # write (and create)
print(p.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))              # Hello, file!
 
# Binary variants
p.write_bytes(b"\x00\x01")
print(p.read_bytes())                             # b'\x00\x01'

read_write.py

from pathlib import Path
 
p = Path("greeting.txt")
p.write_text("Hello, file!", encoding="utf-8")   # write (and create)
print(p.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))              # Hello, file!
 
# Binary variants
p.write_bytes(b"\x00\x01")
print(p.read_bytes())                             # b'\x00\x01'

Listing and globbing directories

listing.py

from pathlib import Path
 
folder = Path(".")
 
# Everything directly inside
for item in folder.iterdir():
    print(item)
 
# Only .py files in this folder
for py in folder.glob("*.py"):
    print(py)
 
# Recursively, every .py file under here
for py in folder.rglob("*.py"):
    print(py)

listing.py

from pathlib import Path
 
folder = Path(".")
 
# Everything directly inside
for item in folder.iterdir():
    print(item)
 
# Only .py files in this folder
for py in folder.glob("*.py"):
    print(py)
 
# Recursively, every .py file under here
for py in folder.rglob("*.py"):
    print(py)

Method	Finds
`p.iterdir()p.iterdir()`	Every item directly inside `pp`.
`p.glob(pattern)p.glob(pattern)`	Items matching a pattern in `pp`.
`p.rglob(pattern)p.rglob(pattern)`	Matches recursively in all subfolders.

Creating and removing

create_remove.py

from pathlib import Path
 
d = Path("output/logs")
d.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)   # create folders; don't error if present
 
f = d / "run.log"
f.touch()                              # create an empty file
f.unlink(missing_ok=True)             # delete a file (no error if missing)

create_remove.py

from pathlib import Path
 
d = Path("output/logs")
d.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)   # create folders; don't error if present
 
f = d / "run.log"
f.touch()                              # create an empty file
f.unlink(missing_ok=True)             # delete a file (no error if missing)

Common pitfalls

Path("a") / "b"Path("a") / "b" only works with a Path on the left — "a" / Path("b")"a" / Path("b") fails; start from a PathPath.
p.suffixp.suffix includes the dot — .csv.csv, not csvcsv.
mkdirmkdir errors if the parent is missing — pass parents=Trueparents=True.
read_textread_text raises if the file doesn’t exist — check p.exists()p.exists() first or catch the error.
Convert to str(p)str(p) only when a library insists on a string.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1 – Extract the file extension

Exercise 2 – Join paths with the / operator

Exercise 3 – Name without the extension

Summary

pathlib.Pathpathlib.Path is the modern, object-oriented replacement for os.pathos.path.
Join paths with //; inspect them with namename, stemstem, suffixsuffix, parentparent, partsparts.
Read/write files directly with read_textread_text/write_textwrite_text (and _bytes_bytes variants).
List and search folders with iterdiriterdir, globglob, and rglobrglob.
Create and remove with mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True), touchtouch, and unlinkunlink.

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