Python: Check if a File path is symlink (symbolic link)

# Table of Contents

1. Python: Check if a File path is symlink (symbolic link)
2. Python: Check if a File path is symlink (symbolic link) using os.path.islink()

# Python: Check if a File path is symlink (symbolic link)

To check if a file path is a symlink (symbolic link) in Python:

1. Import the Path class from the pathlib module.
2. Instantiate the class to create a PurePath object.
3. Use the path.is_symlink() method to check if the file path is a symbolic link.

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from pathlib import Path

path = Path(r'/home/borislav/Desktop/bobbyhadz_python/src')

print(path.is_symlink()) # 👉️ True

if path.is_symlink():
    print('The given path points to a symbolic link')
else:
    print('The path does NOT point to a symbolic link')

The pathlib.Path class takes one or more path segments as parameters and creates a PosixPath or a WindowsPath, depending on the operating system.

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from pathlib import Path

path = Path(r'/home/borislav/Desktop/bobbyhadz_python/src')

print(path.is_symlink()) # 👉️ True

Once you instantiate the Path object, you can use Path-specific methods, such as Path.is_symlink.

The Path.is_symlink() method returns True if the path points to a symbolic link and False otherwise.

On Linux, I can use the ls -l command to check that the path exists and is a symbolic link.

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ls -l /path/to/file

The is_symlink() method returns True as long as the specified object is a symlink, even if the target of the link does not exist.

As previously noted, if the path doesn't exist or is not a symbolic link, False is returned.

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from pathlib import Path

# 👇️ False
path = Path(r'/home/borislav/Desktop/bobbyhadz_python/another')

print(path.is_symlink())

if path.is_symlink():
    print('The given path points to a symbolic link')
else:
    # 👇️ This runs
    print('The path does NOT point to a symbolic link')

Note that you have to be running at least Python v3.4 to be able to use the pathlib module.

# Python: Check if a File path is symlink (symbolic link) using os.path.islink()

You can also use the os.path.islink method to check if a file path is a symlink (symbolic link).

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import os.path

a_path = r'/home/borislav/Desktop/bobbyhadz_python/src'

print(os.path.islink(a_path))

if os.path.islink(a_path):
    print('The given path points to a symbolic link')
else:
    # 👇️ This runs
    print('The path does NOT point to a symbolic link')

The os.path.islink() method takes a path as a parameter and returns True if the supplied path refers to an existing directory entry that is a symbolic link.

If symbolic links are not supported by the Python runtime, the method returns False.

For example, ./my-directory/ might return a False even if the path is a symbolic link.

Instead, use a path of ./my-directory.

The os.path.islink() method sometimes causes issues when checking for symbolic links on Windows.

# Additional Resources

You can learn more about the related topics by checking out the following tutorials:

• IsADirectoryError: [Errno 21] Is a directory in Python
• How to Print a Zipped list in Python
• Count number of unique Words in a String or File in Python
• Create a file name using Variables in Python
• How to get the File path of a Class in Python
• Taking a file path from user input in Python