Python os.chdir is modifying the passed directory name

Question

I am trying to change the current working directory in python using os.chdir. I have the following code:

import os

os.chdir("C:\Users\Josh\Desktop\20130216")

However, when I run it, it seems to change the directory, as it comes out with the following error message:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\Josh\Desktop\LapseBot 1.0\LapseBot.py", line 3, in <module>
os.chdir("C:\Users\Josh\Desktop\20130216")
WindowsError: [Error 2] The system cannot find the file specified
  'C:\\Users\\Josh\\Desktop\x8130216'

Can anyone help me?

Stevenage

Try to add another backlash before "2013" – Sailer

Answer 1

Python is interpreting the \2013 part of the path as the escape sequence \201, which maps to the character \x81, which is ü (and of course, C:\Users\Josh\Desktopü30216 doesn't exist).

Use a raw string, to make sure that Python doesn't try to interpret anything following a \ as an escape sequence.

os.chdir(r"C:\Users\Josh\Desktop\20130216")

Pickens

Or use forward slashes, or double the backslashes. – Stargell

@MartijnPieters: Yep, good point. Python can correctly understand paths like C:/Users/Josh/... on Windows. – Pickens

what does the "r" do?? – Kerns

@Kerns It's how you define a raw string, i.e. a string without any escape sequences – Pickens

Answer 2

You could also use os.path.join (documentation). Example:

os.chdir(os.path.join('C:\Users\Josh\Desktop', '20130216'))

This is more elegant + it's compatible with different operating systems.

Bibliomania

Answer 3

This should work -

os.chdir("C:\Users\Josh\Desktop\\20130216")

Podesta

why do you need the second backslash? – Ygerne

@Ygerne Because "\201" is a character. We need to escape the backslash to tell python that you didn't mean that but it's just another backslash (in fact path separator here) – Podesta

Answer 4

There are two to use os.chdir():

1. If you are using raw string than use single backslash \:

   os.chdir(r"C:\Users\Josh\Desktop\20130216")

or

2. If you are not using raw string than use double backslash \\

   os.chdir("C:\Users\Josh\Desktop\20130216")

Aggappera

Answer 5

I have faced the same problem but you have to try:

os.chdir(c:\\user\\Josh\\Desktop)

Use \\ so maybe you should get your solution.

Hayfork