Python program needs full path in Notepad++

Question

Not a major issue but just an annoyance I've come upon while doing class work. I have my Notepad++ set up to run Python code straight from Notepad++ but I've noticed when trying to access files I have to use the full path to the file even given the source text file is in the same folder as the Python program being run.

However, when running my Python program through cmd I can just type in the specific file name sans the entire path.

Does anyone have a short answer as to why this might be or maybe how to reconfigure Notepad++?

Thanks in advance.

abarnert · Accepted Answer · 2014-11-25 01:50:09Z

The problem is that your code is assuming that the current working directory is the same as the script directory. This is not true in general. Of course it is true if you're in a cmd window, and you cd to the script directory before running it.

If you don't want to rely on that (e.g., because you want to be able to run scripts from Notepad++, or directly from Explorer), what you want to do is use the script directory explicitly. For example:

import os
import sys

scriptdir = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0]))

with open(os.path.join(scriptdir, 'myfile.txt')) as f:
    # etc.

If you have a ton of files that your scripts reference in a ton of places, it might be better to explicitly set the working directory. Just add one line:

os.chdir(scriptdir)

For anything beyond quick&dirty scripts, it's usually better to build an installable package and use pkg_resources to access the data files. Read the Tutorial on Packaging and Distributing Projects for more details. But as long as you're only hacking up scripts to help you maintain your specific system, the scriptdir solution is workable.

jez · Accepted Answer · 2014-11-25 01:52:38Z

2

In the properties of the shortcut that you use to start Notepad++, you can change its working directory, to whichever directory you're more accustomed to starting from in Python. You can also begin your python program with the appropriate os.chdir() command.

answered Nov 25, 2014 at 1:52

jez

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