Why don't isdir() and isfile() work for me?

[Ray Parrish]

J wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 21:19, Ray Parrish <crp at cmc.net> wrote:
>   
>> Hello,
>>
>> I am using Python Release 2.5.2, 21st February, 2008, and lookng at the
>> corresponding document, it says -
>>
>> isfile(path)
>>    Return True if path is an existing regular file. This follows
>> symbolic links, so both islink() and isfile() can be true for the same
>> path.
>>
>> isdir(path)
>>    Return True if path is an existing directory. This follows symbolic
>> links, so both islink() and isdir() can be true for the same path.
>>
>>
>> And I am getting -
>>
>>  >>> import os
>>  >>> isdir("/home/ray/links")
>> Traceback (most recent call last):
>>  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
>> NameError: name 'isdir' is not defined
>>  >>> os.isdir("/home/ray/links")
>>  >>> os.isdir("/home/ray/links")
>> Traceback (most recent call last):
>>  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
>> AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'isdir'
>>  >>> os.isfile("/home/ray/links")
>> Traceback (most recent call last):
>>  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
>> AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'isfile'
>>  >>> import os.path
>>  >>> os.isfile("/home/ray/links")
>> Traceback (most recent call last):
>>  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
>> AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'isfile'
>>
>> Could someone please explain to me why?
>>     
>
> You're failing because you are not calling isdir() properly.  You have
> to call it from os.path:
>
>   
>>>> print os.isdir("/home/bladernr")
>>>>         
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
> AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'isdir'
>   
>>>> os.path.isdir("/home/bladernr")
>>>>         
> True
>   
>>>> os.path.isdir("/home/bladernr/nosuchdir")
>>>>         
> False
>
> Or you have to import the function from os.path:
>
>   
>>>> from os.path import isdir
>>>> isdir("/home/bladernr")
>>>>         
> True
> You could also do this
> I saw the 2.5.2 documentation that shows isdir() as part of os, but I
> think that's incorrect.  I think it's part of os.path and the
> documentation is confusing.  For example, from the os.py source:
>
>   from os.path import join, isdir, islink
>
> Thats for the os.walk function. However, I also have 2.5.4 installed,
> not 2.5.2 so there could be a difference there.
>
> Any particular reason you're using 2.5.2 and not 2.5.6, or even 2.6?
>   
Because 2.5.2 is what is available in the Ubuntu repository, and if I 
distribute a program, I don't want people to have to go beyond the 
trusted repository to install the dependencies for any program's I write.
> Not trying to dissuade you from also asking for help, but this is more
> an Ubuntu tech support list, and not so much a programming support
> list... So you may also want to check this out:
>
> http://www.python.org/community/lists/
>   
Thank you for this link. I have been trying to use the shell scripting 
list, but it's membership is very low, and getting answers from it is 
very slow. I'm hoping that your link will have a more high volume list 
that works quickly.
> Python has a huge community and you're far more likely to get answers
> on python programming there than you would on a list that's not a
> programming or python specific list.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jeff
>   
Later, Ray Parrish


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