How to Create a Folder in Python if It Doesn't Exist?

General Discussions
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#1

How to create a new folder in Python?

I want to store the output information of my program in a folder. If the given folder does not exist, the program should create the folder and then put the output information in it. Is this possible in Python? If yes, please let me know how to achieve this.

For example, if I provide the folder path “C:\Program Files\alex” and the “alex” folder doesn’t exist, the program should create the “alex” folder and store the output information inside it.

#2

I’ve worked with Python for a while, and here’s how you can create a new folder if it doesn’t already exist. One reliable way is to use the os.makedirs() function. This method is handy because it also takes care of creating any intermediate directories along the way. So, if you want to create a folder like ‘C:\Program Files\alex’, and it doesn’t exist yet, Python will handle the whole path for you.

import os

folder_path = r"C:\Program Files\alex"
if not os.path.exists(folder_path):
    os.makedirs(folder_path)
    print(f"Folder '{folder_path}' created successfully!")
else:
    print(f"Folder '{folder_path}' already exists.")

With this approach, you can be sure the folder will be created only if it’s not already present. It’s a simple yet effective method to handle folder creation in Python.

#3

That’s a good approach! I prefer using pathlib as it provides a more modern, object-oriented way to deal with paths. It’s cleaner and more intuitive when you’re working with paths in Python. Here’s how you can achieve the same result using pathlib. Plus, it handles the creation of intermediate directories seamlessly with the parents=True argument.

from pathlib import Path

folder_path = Path(r"C:\Program Files\alex")
folder_path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
print(f"Folder '{folder_path}' created successfully!")

This will make sure Python creates the folder if it doesn’t exist and ensures that intermediate directories are also made if needed. The exist_ok=True part is great because it prevents raising an error if the folder already exists. This way, you don’t have to check if the folder exists manually!

#4

Both methods are solid! I personally like os.makedirs() too because it handles both creating the folder and any necessary intermediate directories automatically. However, using a try-except block can be useful in case there are any unexpected issues when creating the folder. That way, you can gracefully handle any errors.

import os

folder_path = r"C:\Program Files\alex"
try:
    os.makedirs(folder_path, exist_ok=True)
    print(f"Folder '{folder_path}' created or already exists.")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Error creating folder '{folder_path}': {e}")

The exist_ok=True ensures no errors are thrown if the folder already exists, but the try-except lets you handle other potential issues—like permission errors—more effectively. This makes it a bit more robust for different environments. It’s a good practice when working in production-grade Python code.