Translating Matlab code to Python

Question

I need to translate chunks of matlab code into Python. My code seems to be 'unreachable' though. Any idea why this is happening? Also: am I doing it right? I'm a real newbie.

Matlab code:

function Dir = getScriptDir()
 fullPath = mfilename('fullpath');
 [Dir, ~,~] = fileparts(fullPath);
end
function [list,listSize] = getFileList(Dir)
 DirResult = dir( Dir );
 list = DirResult(~[DirResult.isdir]); % select files
 listSize = size(list);
end

My Python code:

def Dir = getScriptDir():
 return os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)
def getFileList(Dir):
 list = os.listdir(Dir)
 listSize = len(list)
 getFileList() = [list, listSize]

• Ilya Boltnev: getFileList() = [list, listSize] does not seems like correct code. Maybe return [list, listSize] ? Also, using camelCase named functions is violates python code standart
• glglgl: @IlyaBoltnev What is "standart"?
• Budzi: @IlyaBoltnev can the upper case characters impact my code? it won't work if I don't change it?
• Ilya Boltnev: @glglgl i mean pep8, thec code style standart
• glglgl: @IlyaBoltnev It was meant as a slight hint that standard is written with two "d". Just trying to be a smartass. :-P

Answer 1

Your syntax is incorrect. If I'm reading this correctly, you're trying to get the names of the files in the same directory as the script and print the number of files in that list.

---

Here's an example of how you might do this (based on the program you gave):

import os
def getFileList(directory = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))):
 list = os.listdir(directory)
 listSize = len(list)
 return [list, listSize]
print(getFileList())

---

Output example:

[['program.py', 'data', 'syntax.py'], 3]

• robben: The solution of @ode2k works, too (sorry, I can't comment on your post yet because of my reputation), but the "getScriptDir" function isn't necessary. It's easier to use a keyword argument to set the directory (plus, the function is now re-usable with other directories).
• Budzi: thank you both, i needed that information also for the rest of the code :)))

Answer 2

Your function definitions were incorrect. I have modified the code you provided. You can also consolidate the getScriptDir() functionality into the getFileList() function.

import os
def getFileList():
 dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
 list = os.listdir(dir)
 listSize = len(list)
 fileList = [list, listSize]
 return fileList
print(getFileList())

Returns: (in my environment)

[['test.py', 'test.txt', 'test2.py', 'test2.txt', 'test3.py', 'test4.py', 'testlog.txt', '__pycache__'], 8]

Your script functions - including getScriptDir(modified):

import os
def getScriptDir():
 return os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
def getFileList(dir):
 dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
 list = os.listdir(dir)
 listSize = len(list)
 fileList = [list, listSize]
 return fileList
dir = getScriptDir()
print(getFileList(dir))

Answer 3

Remember that you need to return variables from a python-function to get their results.

More on how to define your own functions in python: https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/controlflow.html#defining-functions