Renaming file extension using pathlib (python 3)

Question

I am using windows 10 and winpython. I have a file with a .dwt extension (it is a text file). I want to change the extension of this file to .txt.

My code does not throw any errors, but it does not change the extension.

from pathlib import Path

filename = Path("E:\\seaborn_plot\\x.dwt")

print(filename)

filename_replace_ext = filename.with_suffix('.txt')

print(filename_replace_ext)

Expected results are printed out (as shown below) in winpython's ipython window output:

E:\seaborn_plot\x.dwt

E:\seaborn_plot\x.txt

But when I look for a file with a renamed extension, the extension has not been changed, only the original file exists. I suspect windows file permissions.

Answer 1

You have to actually rename the file not just print out the new name.

1. Use Path.rename()

   from pathlib import Path
   myFile = Path("E:\\seaborn_plot\\x.dwt")
   myFile.rename(myFile.with_suffix('.txt'))
   

   Note: To replace the target if it exists use Path.replace()

2. Use os.rename()

   import os
   my_file = 'E:\\seaborn_plot\\x.dwt'
   new_ext = '.txt'
   # Gets my_file minus the extension
   name_without_ext = os.path.splitext(my_file)[0]
   os.rename(my_file, name_without_ext + new_ext)
   

Ref:

1. os.path.splitext(path)
2. PurePath.with_suffix(suffix)