Windows path in Python

Windows path in Python

you can use always:

C:/mydir

this works both in linux and windows.
Other posibility is

C:\mydir

if you have problems with some names you can also try raw string literals:

rC:mydir

however best practice is to use the os.path module functions that always select the correct configuration for your OS:

os.path.join(mydir, myfile)

From python 3.4 you can also use the pathlib module. This is equivelent to the above:

pathlib.Path(mydir, myfile)

or

pathlib.Path(mydir) / myfile

Use the os.path module.

os.path.join( C:, meshes, as )

Or use raw strings

rC:meshesas

I would also recommend no spaces in the path or file names. And you could use double backslashes in your strings.

C:\meshes\as.jpg

Windows path in Python

Yes, in Python string literals denotes the start of an escape sequence. In your path you have a valid two-character escape sequence a, which is collapsed into one character that is ASCII Bell:

>>> a
x07
>>> len(a)
1
>>> C:meshesas
C:\meshesx07s
>>> print(C:meshesas)
C:meshess

Other common escape sequences include t (tab), n (line feed), r (carriage return):

>>> list(C:test)
[C, :, t, e, s, t]
>>> list(C:nest)
[C, :, n, e, s, t]
>>> list(C:rest)
[C, :, r, e, s, t]

As you can see, in all these examples the backslash and the next character in the literal were grouped together to form a single character in the final string. The full list of Pythons escape sequences is here.

There are a variety of ways to deal with that:

1. Python will not process escape sequences in string literals prefixed with r or R:

   >>> rC:meshesas
   C:\meshes\as
   >>> print(rC:meshesas)
   C:meshesas
   

2. Python on Windows should handle forward slashes, too.

3. You could use os.path.join …

   >>> import os
   >>> os.path.join(C:, os.sep, meshes, as)
   C:\meshes\as
   

4. … or the newer pathlib module

   >>> from pathlib import Path
   >>> Path(C:, /, meshes, as)
   WindowsPath(C:/meshes/as)