How to use win environment variable "pathlib" to save files?

Question

I'm trying to use win environment variable like %userprofile%\desktop with pathlib to safe files in different users PC.

But I'm not able to make it work, it keep saving in on the running script dir.

import pathlib
from datetime import datetime

a = r'%userprofile%\desktop\test2'
b = 'test'
def path(path_name, f_name):
    date = datetime.now().strftime("%d%m-%H%M%S")
    file_name = f'{f_name}--{date}.xlsx'
    file_path = pathlib.Path(path_name).joinpath(file_name)
    file_dir = pathlib.Path(path_name)
    try:
        file_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
    except OSError as err:
        print(f"Can't create {file_dir}: {err}")
    return file_path

path(a, b)

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 23 '20 at 04:02

4

I use os.path.expandvars:

https://docs.python.org/3/library/os.path.html#os.path.expandvars

import os
os.path.expandvars(r"%UserProfile%\Pictures")
'C:\\Users\\User\\Pictures'

answered Aug 23 '20 at 04:02

XP1

6,910
8
54
61

beautiful. just what i was looking for! – Diptangsu Goswami Dec 15 '21 at 11:31

score 4 · Answer 2 · edited Dec 20 '22 at 03:55

4

pathlib does have Path.home(), which expands to the user's home directory.

from pathlib import Path
print(Path.home())    # On Windows, it outputs: "C:\Users\<username>"

# Build a path to Desktop
desktop = Path.home() / "Desktop"
print(desktop)    # On Windows, it outputs: "C:\Users\<username>\Desktop"

edited Dec 20 '22 at 03:55

tbone

7
2

answered Sep 05 '20 at 23:22

howdoicode

779
8
16

While `pathlib` can handle the user's home directory, it doesn't have anything equivalent to the generic [`os.path.expandvars()`](https://docs.python.org/3/library/os.path.html#os.path.expandvars) that I am aware of however. – martineau Jun 30 '21 at 10:03

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited Nov 24 '18 at 20:45

1

Try:

import os
a = os.environ['USERPROFILE'] + r'\desktop\test2'
# rest of script....

edited Nov 24 '18 at 20:45

martineau

119,623
25
170
301

answered Nov 24 '18 at 08:17

salparadise

5,699
1
26
32

1

I think the added literal string should be written like this `r'\desktop\test2'`. – martineau Nov 24 '18 at 10:14
1

salparadise: OK—did that after I verified it didn't working properly the way you had it. – martineau Nov 24 '18 at 20:47
If we want the home directory, then use `file_dir = pathlib.Path('~/Desktop/test2').expanduser()` and join it idiomatically as `file_path = file_dir / file_name`. pathlib will change it to use backslash on Windows. That said, Windows doesn't have the fixed Unix convention for the home directory. There are dozens of individually relocatable folders defined for each user. In this case "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop" is the default location for [`FOLDERID_Desktop`](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/shell/knownfolderid#FOLDERID_Desktop), but it shouldn't be depended on. – Eryk Sun Nov 25 '18 at 02:24

How to use win environment variable "pathlib" to save files?

3 Answers3

Linked