QFileDialog returns selected file with wrong seperators

Question

I noticed that QFileDialog instance is returning absolute paths for the member function selectedFile() that have the wrong separator for the given operating system. This is not expected on a cross platform language (python)

What should I do to correct this so that the rest of my properly OS-independant python code using 'os.sep' can be correct? I don't want to have to remember where I can and can't use it.

There's almost never any reason to use os.sep. Forward slashes are portable everywhere, and using os.sep just leads to messy code, not greater portability. — Glenn Maynard, May 14 '16 at 09:50

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered May 10 '13 at 22:46

2

You use the os.path.abspath function:

>>> import os
>>> os.path.abspath('C:/foo/bar')
'C:\\foo\\bar'

answered May 10 '13 at 22:46

Blender

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That also works. Interesting to see that str.split(os.sep) works as expected on that string. But I think that's because after assignment or operation the doubled backslash is removed. – UpAndAdam May 13 '13 at 14:23
@UpAndAdam: There is no double backslash. ```\\``` just what ```\``` looks like when you pass it through `repr`. – Blender May 13 '13 at 15:28

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:59

The answer came from another thread ( HERE ) that mentioned I need to use QDir.toNativeSeparators()

so I did the following in my loop (which should probably be done in pyqt itself for us):

def get_files_to_add(some_directory):
  addq = QFileDialog()
  addq.setFileMode(QFileDialog.ExistingFiles)
  addq.setDirectory(some_directory)
  addq.setFilter(QDir.Files)
  addq.setAcceptMode(QFileDialog.AcceptOpen)
  new_files = list()
  if addq.exec_() == QDialog.Accepted:
    for horrible_name in addq.selectedFiles():
      ### CONVERSION HERE ###
      temp = str(QDir.toNativeSeparators(horrible_name)
      ### 
      # temp is now as the os module expects it to be
      # let's strip off the path and the extension
      no_path = temp.rsplit(os.sep,1)[1]
      no_ext = no_path.split(".")[0]
      #... do some magic with the file name that has had path stripped and extension stripped
      new_files.append(no_ext)
      pass
    pass
  else:
    #not loading  anything
    pass
  return new_files

I'd be interested to hear from the downvoter what is so wrong with this answer that merits a down vote. Especially since it solved my problem. — UpAndAdam, May 13 '13 at 19:12

QFileDialog returns selected file with wrong seperators

2 Answers2