The os module in Python provides several functions to work with the operating system, including retrieving the current working directory.

Method 1: os.getcwd()

The os.getcwd() function returns the current working directory as a string.

import os

current_directory = os.getcwd()
print(current_directory)

The above code will output the current working directory.

Method 2: os.path.realpath(__file__)

The os.path.realpath(__file__) method returns the absolute path of the current Python script. We can use the os.path.dirname() function to extract the directory from the absolute path.

import os

script_path = os.path.realpath(__file__)
current_directory = os.path.dirname(script_path)
print(current_directory)

We can use the pathlib.Path(__file__).resolve().parent method to get the directory of the currently running Python script.

from pathlib import Path

script_path = Path(__file__).resolve().parent
print(script_path)

This method returns a Path object representing the directory of the current script.

How to Change the Current Working Directory

At times, you may need to change the current working directory to perform operations relative to a different directory. The os module provides the os.chdir() function to change the current working directory.

import os

new_directory = "/path/to/new/directory"
os.chdir(new_directory)

The above code changes the current working directory to the specified new_directory.

Conclusion

In this guide, we explored various methods to get the current directory of a file in Python. We learned how to retrieve the current working directory using the os and pathlib modules, and how to change the current working directory. Now, you have the knowledge to easily work with file paths in Python and navigate directories with ease.

Remember to always keep the current working directory in mind when working with file paths, as it can greatly simplify your code and make it more portable.

Happy coding!