Python error: FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory(read_csv with open)

Question

with open('~/Documents/data.csv', 'r') as f:
    print(f.read())

data=pd.read_csv('~/Documents/data.csv')

when I used the first "with open" method, I got an error. But there is no problem when I use the "read_csv".

So could anyone tell me why? Thank you!

Not all functions process the ~ in a path. Some just take it as a tilde. — Michael Butscher
– Michael Butscher, Commented Nov 9, 2018 at 4:16
The error is FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory. — Feng Zhu
– Feng Zhu, Commented Nov 9, 2018 at 4:20
Try using the full path eg /home/<username>/Documents/data.csv or use a module like pathlib to expanduser(). — Alex
– Alex, Commented Nov 9, 2018 at 4:26

digitalarbeiter · Accepted Answer · 2018-11-09 21:33:02Z

2

With open(), you have to use the os.path.expanduser() function to expand the tilde ~ into the actual home directory of the user:

import os
with open(os.path.expanduser('~/Documents/data.csv'), 'r') as f:
    print(f.read())

Pandas' read_csv() does that for you.

(A word of warning: since ~ is a valid character in Linux filenames, just replacing ~ with os.getenv("HOME") is a very bad idea...)

answered Nov 9, 2018 at 21:33

digitalarbeiter

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