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Python Python for File Systems Navigation Absolutely

Posted by Nomzamo Sithole
Nomzamo Sithole
61,838 Points

What am I doing wrong?

Now I need you to write a function named absolute that takes two arguments, a path string and a root string. If the path is not already absolute, return the path with the root prepended to it.

For example: absolute("projects/python_basics/", "/") would return "/projects/python_basics/" while absolute("/home/kenneth/django", "C:\") would return "/home/kenneth/django".

absolute.py 
>>>> import os
>>>> os.path.absolute("projects/python_basics/", "C:/home/kenneth/django")

2 Answers

Johan Rönkkö
Johan Rönkkö
28,054 Points
Johan Rönkkö
Johan Rönkkö
28,054 Points

Yes you have to. Ok, so I will walk you through my solution.

def absolute(path, root):
    if(not os.path.isabs(path)):
        new_path = ''.join((root, path))
        return new_path
    else:
        return path

I define the function "absolute" that takes two arguments - a path and a root (since POSIX and Windows use different root-signatures). I then check if the path that was passed in is NOT an absolute path. I do this with the "abs" method from the "os.path" package. If it's not an absolute path, I create a new variable that will hold the value of the path prepended with the root (I do this with the built in join function on a empty string), and then i return the variable. However, if the path is an absolute path, i.e. if the IF-statement returns False, then I just return the path that was passed in as it is.

Nomzamo Sithole
Nomzamo Sithole
61,838 Points

Thank you Johan,

Now I understand, just didnt know how to implement it

Johan Rönkkö
Johan Rönkkö
28,054 Points
Johan Rönkkö
Johan Rönkkö
28,054 Points

Import os and create a function that takes two arguments like so

import os

def absolute(path, root):
    pass

Now use the isabs method from os.path and check if the path that was passed in is NOT an absolute path. If it's not, prepend the root-argument to the path and return the new path (with pythons join-method for instance). Else return the path as it is.

Nomzamo Sithole
Nomzamo Sithole
61,838 Points

Thank you for response. i want to know if i have to put it in an IF else statement, to determine the result wanted?

import os

   def absolute(path, root):
             pass

 os.path.isabs("/home/kenneth/django")

 os.path.isabs("projects/python_basics/")
 os.path.join("projects/python_basics/", "/")