Python Loop Through Files in a Directory

One of the common file operations in Python is iterating over files. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to loop through files in a directory using Python.

Problem: How to Loop Through Files in a Directory

Write a Python program to iterate over files in a directory. This is a pre-requisite for performing operations on files or reading their contents. We often need to iterate over files in a directory.

5 Ways to loop through files in Python

Here are five different solutions to address the above problem. We’ll also compare their advantages and disadvantages at the end.

• Using the os.listdir() function
• Using the os.scandir() function
• Using the pathlib module
• Using the glob module
• Using the os.walk() function

Let us go through the methods and understand how they loop through files in Python inside a directory.

Listdir() function to iterate over files

To loop through files in a directory, you can use os.listdir() to get a list of filenames and then iterate through them.

Python Code:

import os

# Get the current working directory
cwd = os.getcwd()

# Get the list of files in the current directory
files = os.listdir(cwd)

# Loop through the files and print their names
for file in files:
  print(file)

Also Check: Python List All Files in a Directory

Scandir() function to loop through files

Starting from Python 3.5, the os.scandir() function provides a more efficient way to loop through files and directories.

Python Code:

import os

# Get the current working directory
cwd = os.getcwd()

# Get the list of files in the current directory
files = os.scandir(cwd)

# Loop through the files and print their names
for file in files:
  print(file.name)

Pathlib module to loop through files

Here’s a complete example of using pathlib to iterate over files in a directory:

Python Code:

from pathlib import Path

# Get the current working directory
cwd = Path.cwd()

# Get the list of files in the current directory
files = cwd.glob('*')

# Loop through the files and print their names
for file in files:
  print(file.name)

Must Read: Python Glob Example

Python glob() to loop through files

The glob module is excellent for pattern matching and filtering files based on their names. Once the file list is fetched, we can easily loop through files.

Python Code:

import glob

# Get the list of files in the current directory
files = glob.glob('*')

# Loop through the files and print their names
for file in files:
  print(file)

Walk() function to iterate over files

The os.walk() method is useful when you need to loop through files in subdirectories recursively.

Python Code:

import os

# Get the current working directory
cwd = os.getcwd()

# Walk through the directory tree and print the names of all files
for root, dirs, files in os.walk(cwd):
  for file in files:
    print(os.path.join(root, file))

Must Read: How to Read/Write to a File in Python

Comparison of methods

Here is a brief but to-the-point comparison of different Python ways to iterate over files in a directory.

Recommendation

The best method to loop through files in a directory depends on your program requirements. In most cases, the os.listdir() function is the simplest and most efficient option. If file information is needed, the os.scandir() function can be used. The pathlib module provides a more object-oriented interface for working with files and directories. The glob module can be used for matching files with wildcards. The os.walk() function can be used for recursively walking through directory trees.

Also Check: Read File Line by Line in Python

Before You Leave

Looping through files in a directory is a common task in Python. By understanding the different methods available, you can choose the best method for the specific needs of your application.

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Enjoy coding,
TechBeamers.