mixed slashes with os.path.join on windows

Question

I tend to use only forward slashes for paths (\'/\') and python is happy with it also on windows. In the description of os.path.join it says that is the correct way if you w

Answer 1

os adds slashes for you and makes sure not to duplicate slashes so omit them in your strings

import os

# Don't add your own slashes
a = 'C:'
b = 'myFirstDirectory' 
c = 'mySecondDirectory'
d = 'myThirdDirectory'
e = 'myExecutable.exe'

print os.path.join(a, b, c, d, e)
C:\myFirstDirectory\mySecondDirectory\myThirdDirectory\myExecutable.exe

Additional:

I'm unsure as to why you have mixed slashes in your sys path (have you used a linux os to add some folders?) but try checking

print os.path.isdir(os.path.join('C:','Users','nookie')).

If this is True then os works for your mixed slashes.

Either way, I would avoid hard-coding directory names into your program. Your sys.path for loop is a safe way to pull out these directories. You can then use some string methods, or regex to pick the desired folder.