How To Install The Os Module In Python

In this tutorial, we will be guiding you on how to install and use the os module in Python. The os module provides a way to interact with the operating system, giving you access to various features like file handling, directories, paths, and more. We will also give you examples of how to utilize the os module in your Python scripts.

Step 1: Installing Python

Before using the os module, make sure you have Python installed on your system. If not, you can install it from the official Python website: https://www.python.org/downloads/.

After downloading and installing Python, you can verify the installation by running the following command in your terminal/command prompt:

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python --version

You should see the installed Python version as output.

Step 2: Using the os Module

The good news is that the os module comes with Python, so you don’t need a separate installation process. You can start using it by importing the module in your Python scripts.

To import the os module, include the following line in your Python script:

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import os

Step 3: Exploring the os Module Functions

Now that we’ve got the os module imported, let’s explore some commonly used functions:

  1. Get Current Working Directory:
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current_directory = os.getcwd()
print("Current working directory:", current_directory)
  1. Change Working Directory:
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new_directory = "path/to/your/new/directory"
os.chdir(new_directory)
print("New working directory:", os.getcwd())
  1. List Files and Folders in a Directory:
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list_of_files = os.listdir()
print("List of files:", list_of_files)
  1. Create a New Directory:
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new_folder = "sample_folder"
os.makedirs(new_folder)
  1. Rename a File or Folder:
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old_name = "old_file_name"
new_name = "new_file_name"
os.rename(old_name, new_name)
  1. Delete a File:
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file_to_delete = "file_to_delete.txt"
os.remove(file_to_delete)

Remember to replace the placeholders (like “path/to/your/new/directory” and “old_file_name”) with the appropriate values for your system.

Full Code

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import os
 
# Get current working directory
current_directory = os.getcwd()
print("Current working directory:", current_directory)
 
# Change working directory
new_directory = "path/to/your/new/directory"
os.chdir(new_directory)
print("New working directory:", os.getcwd())
 
# List files and folders in a directory
list_of_files = os.listdir()
print("List of files:", list_of_files)
 
# Create a new directory
new_folder = "sample_folder"
os.makedirs(new_folder)
 
# Rename a file or folder
old_name = "old_file_name"
new_name = "new_file_name"
os.rename(old_name, new_name)
 
# Delete a file
file_to_delete = "file_to_delete.txt"
os.remove(file_to_delete)

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have covered how to use the os module in Python, which comes pre-installed with Python. We went through various functions like getting the current working directory, changing the working directory, listing files and folders, creating a new directory, renaming files, and deleting files. With the os module, you can easily interact with your operating system and perform various operations on files and directories.