operating system - How to get the PATH environment-variable separator in Python?

160
votes

When multiple directories need to be concatenated, as in an executable search path, there is an os-dependent separator character. For Windows it's ';', for Linux it's ':'. Is there a way in Python to get which character to split on?

In the discussions to this question How do I find out my python path using python? , it is suggested that os.sep will do it. That answer is wrong, since it is the separator for components of a directory or filename and equates to '\\' or '/'.

5
pythonoperating-systemenvironment-variables

5 Answers

33
votes

It is os.pathsep

13
votes

Making it a little more explicit (For python newbies like me)

import os
print(os.pathsep)
7
votes

OK, so there are:

  • os.pathsep that is ; and which is a separator in the PATH environment variable;
  • os.path.sep that is / in Unix/Linux and \ in Windows, which is a separator between path components.

The similarity is a source of confusion.

1
votes

This is a sample path for your working directory/specific folder - 

 import os
 my = os.path.sep+ "testImages" + os.path.sep + "imageHidden.png"
 print(my)

Output for Linux-

/home/*******/Desktop/folder/PlayWithPy/src/testImages/imageHidden.png

Output for Windows-

C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\folder\\tests\\testImages\\imageHidden.png