How do I use Python to create a directory along with any missing parent directories -like `mkdir -p` in Bash?

General Discussions
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1

I’m looking for a way to ensure a nested directory path is created in Python, including any missing parent folders.

What’s the recommended approach for a python create directory if not exists scenario that works reliably across platforms?

2

Absolutely - the go-to method is os.makedirs() with exist_ok=True. It’s basically the Python version of mkdir -p. Here’s how I use it:

import os
os.makedirs("/path/to/your/folder", exist_ok=True)

This works beautifully on both Windows and Linux, and it won’t throw an error if the directory already exists. I use it in all my automation scripts.

3

Yes! I ran into this when building nested output folders for a pipeline. Just like you said, os.makedirs() is the answer. The exist_ok flag is what mimics the -p behavior.

Before I found that, I was doing unnecessary checks like:

if not os.path.exists(path):
    os.makedirs(path)

Now I just let Python handle it - much cleaner.