Resolving the FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory When Running Python Code

Learn how to fix the common Python error `FileNotFoundError` by understanding file paths and execution directories in your code. --- This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/62349381/ asked by the user 'BIDS Salvaterra' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/6932334/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/62349496/ provided by the user 'BIDS Salvaterra' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/6932334/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions. Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Getting "FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory" on a file that exists Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l... The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license. If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com. --- Understanding the FileNotFoundError in Python When working with files in Python, one common issue many developers encounter is the dreaded FileNotFoundError. This error signifies that Python cannot find the file you are attempting to access. A user recently shared an experience where they faced this error while trying to run a script, even though the file existed. Let's dive into their problem and explore an effective solution. The Problem In a practical scenario, a user attempted to use the file named a.png in a Python script. When they executed a simple command to check the file path in the Python interactive shell (IDLE or Geany), it reported that the file path was valid. However, when the user tried to run the same script from the Windows command line, the program raised a FileNotFoundError. Here's a simplified version of the commands the user ran: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] What Went Wrong? The user was running their script from the command prompt at the C:\Windows\system32 directory. Since they did not provide a full path to the a.png file, Python was searching for it in the current working directory, which is the C:\Windows\system32 folder. This folder likely did not contain the file a.png, leading to the error. How to Fix the Issue Here's how to resolve the FileNotFoundError based on the user's experience: 1. Check Your Working Directory Before you execute your script, ensure that your command prompt is in the correct directory where the file exists. You can change your command prompt directory using the cd command, like this: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] 2. Provide Full Path to the File Instead of relying on the current directory, specify the full path to the file in your script. Here’s how you can modify the code: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] 3. Use Relative Paths Wisely If you prefer using relative paths, ensure you're executing your script from a directory that contains the required files or navigate to the correct directory beforehand. 4. Verify File Existence Before your script attempts to access the file, you can use the following check to confirm its existence: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Conclusion The FileNotFoundError can be frustrating, especially when you know the file exists. However, understanding how Python resolves file paths and ensuring you are in the correct working directory can save you a lot of headaches. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you should be able to troubleshoot and resolve similar file-related issues in your Python projects. Happy coding!