exists and is_file

Learn checks with exists, is_file, is_dir.

Checking with exists and is_file

You check whether a path exists with p.exists(); it returns True or False. To tell files from folders you use p.is_file() and p.is_dir().

These checks keep you safe before file operations; for example you can verify a file exists before opening it. For a folder, is_file() returns false; for a folder is_dir() returns true. If the file doesn't exist, both return false.

Create a file with write_text

You can create a file from a Path object in one line: p.write_text("hello", encoding="utf-8"). This creates the file if missing, or replaces its content if it exists. It's shorter than writing with open(...).

For reading you use p.read_text(encoding="utf-8"); it returns all content as a single string. These methods are practical for small and medium files; for large files you still prefer streaming reads with open.

Exercise Create a file and check with exists

Start with from pathlib import Path. Create a path object with p = Path("test.txt"). Write to the file with p.write_text("hello", encoding="utf-8"). Print its existence with print(p.exists()) and whether it's a file with print(p.is_file()).

Show example solution

# Import the Path class
from pathlib import Path
# Create the p path object and write with write_text
p = Path("test.txt")
p.write_text("hello", encoding="utf-8")
# Check with exists and is_file, print
print(p.exists())
print(p.is_file())

Test yourself

Match the checking methods

exists

Existence check
is_file

File check
is_dir

Folder check
write_text

Write text to a file
What does is_file() return for a missing file?
- True
- False
- None
- Raises an error
Show answer

False — For a missing path is_file() returns false; no error is raised.

Complete the exists call

p = Path("test.txt")
print(p.____())

Show answer

p = Path("test.txt")
print(p.exists())

Next lesson: mkdir and rmdir

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