How to get the file name from the file path in Python?

When working with file paths in Python, you often need to extract just the filename from a complete file path. Python provides several methods to accomplish this task using different modules.

Method 1: Using os.path.basename()

The most common and straightforward approach is using the os.path.basename() function, which returns the final component of a file path ?

import os

# Input file path
file_path = 'C:/Users/Documents/tutorial.pdf'

# Extract filename using os.path.basename()
filename = os.path.basename(file_path)
print("The filename is:", filename)

The filename is: tutorial.pdf

Method 2: Using os.path.split()

The split() function separates the directory path from the filename and returns both as a tuple ?

import os

file_path = 'C:/Users/Documents/tutorial.pdf'

# Split path into directory and filename
directory, filename = os.path.split(file_path)
print("Directory:", directory)
print("Filename:", filename)

Directory: C:/Users/Documents
Filename: tutorial.pdf

Method 3: Using Pathlib Module

The modern pathlib module provides an object-oriented approach to handle file paths ?

from pathlib import Path

file_path = 'C:/Users/Documents/tutorial.pdf'

# Create Path object
path_obj = Path(file_path)

# Get filename with extension
print("Filename with extension:", path_obj.name)

# Get filename without extension
print("Filename without extension:", path_obj.stem)

# Get only the extension
print("Extension:", path_obj.suffix)

Filename with extension: tutorial.pdf
Filename without extension: tutorial
Extension: .pdf

Method 4: Using Regular Expressions

For pattern-based extraction, you can use regular expressions to match specific filename patterns ?

import re

file_path = 'C:/Users/Documents/tutorial.pdf'

# Pattern to match filename with extension
pattern = r'[^/\]*$'
filename = re.search(pattern, file_path).group()
print("Filename:", filename)

# Pattern to match filename without extension
pattern_no_ext = r'[^/\]*(?=\.)'
filename_no_ext = re.search(pattern_no_ext, file_path).group()
print("Filename without extension:", filename_no_ext)

Filename: tutorial.pdf
Filename without extension: tutorial

Comparison

Conclusion

The os.path.basename() method is the most straightforward for basic filename extraction. Use pathlib for modern Python applications, and regular expressions for complex pattern matching requirements.