Path error in python

Question

I have written a script to rename a file

import os
path = "C:\\Users\\A\\Downloads\\Documents\\"
for x in os.listdir(path):
 if x.startswith('i'):
 os.rename(x,"Information brochure")

When the python file is in a different directory than the path I get a file not found error

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\A\Desktop\script.py", line 5, in <module>
os.rename(x,"Information brochure")
FileNotFoundError: [WinError 2] The system cannot find the file specified:'ib.pdf'-> 'Information brochure'

But if I copy the python file to the path location it works fine

import os
for x in os.listdir('.'):
 if x.startswith('i'):
 os.rename(x,"Information brochure")

What is the problem?

• lily: Are you sure the path is correct?
• honeysingh: os.chdir(path) worked

Answer 1

Your variable x is currently only the filename relative to path. It's what os.listdir(path) outputs. As a result, you need to prepend path to x using os.path.join(path,x).

import os
path = "C:\\Users\\A\\Downloads\\Documents\\" #os.path.join for cross-platform-ness
for x in os.listdir(path):
 if x.startswith('i'): # x, here is the filename. That's why it starts with i.
 os.rename(os.path.join(path,x),os.path.join(path,"Information brochure"))

• R Sahu: I would suggest using os.rename(os.path.join(path,x),os.path.join(path,"Information brochure"))
• honeysingh: Yes os.rename(os.path.join(path,x),os.path.join(path,"Information brochure")) worked.I dont know what os.rename(os.path.join(path,x),"Information brochure") did but it deleted the file from the directory
• sihrc: @honeysingh Since you didn't give it the absolute path, it probably just moved the file to the current directory.
• honeysingh: @sihrc yes it moved the file to current directory

Answer 2

The x variable has the name of the file but not the full path to the file. Use this:

os.rename(path + "\\" + x, "Information brochure")

• jspurim: Actually, now I see sihrc, answer is better as it is more portable.