Checking for an existing file

Hi all, I am new to python and an carrying out a bit of work in which I must retrieve emails and copy its Body of text into a text file. But before I can write this text to a file I need to check whether the file I am writing to already exists or not. Is there a specific function I can use to do this?

I've done some searching online and can't really find anything useful, apart from a mention of the Class 'path'???

Cheers peps

Tryst

The os.path module has a isfile function which'll return true if the file name you pass as an argument exits.

Hi, I have tested some code with the information you have given me, and am coming up with an error (error states that the name/function isfile does not exist).

This is the simple piece of code...

import os.path

filename = "test HTML.txt"
if(isfile(filename)):
print "It exists!!"
else:
print "It does not exist!"

Why isn't it recognising the function isfile?

Cheers

I've solved it!

it is...

os.path.isfile(...filename/path...)

Cheers for the help Solarbear

Tryst

You could have also imported the functions using the "form module import function" form and you're first example would have worked fine ...



Also you dont have to import os.path directly, although its perfectly a valid way to get os.path, i just find it much nicer to import os which makes os.path available .

Mark.

You learn something new everyday :-)

Cheers guys

Tryst

Do not use from <module> import *. That is all.

Comon . There can be nothing that wrong with using import * as long as you know what you're getting. Although i myself like to see where i'm calling functions from. Unless you have somthing i havnt considered to add?

Mark