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Use Python’s pathlib for a straightforward directory listing:
from pathlib import Path
folder = Path(".")
entries = list(folder.iterdir())
print(entries)iterdir() returns path objects for the directory’s immediate entries, including both files and subdirectories. Choose a filter or a pattern when you need a narrower result.
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List files and folders directly inside a directory
Path.iterdir() is a good default when you want child paths rather than just their names. The example above uses Path(".") for the current working directory; replace it with another path, such as Path("/path/to/folder"), to inspect a different location.
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The entries are not returned in a guaranteed order. Sort them when the order matters, for example: entries = sorted(folder.iterdir()). If the path is not a directory or cannot be accessed, iteration raises an OSError. See the Python pathlib documentation.
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Return only files or only subdirectories
Filter each child with is_file() to exclude directories:
files = [child for child in folder.iterdir() if child.is_file()]To get immediate subdirectories instead, use is_dir():
directories = [child for child in folder.iterdir() if child.is_dir()]These filters apply only to the directory’s immediate children; they do not search nested folders.
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| Need | API | Result and behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate child paths | Path.iterdir() |
Yields Path objects; includes files and directories. |
| Immediate entry names | os.listdir(path) |
Returns names as strings, or bytes when given a bytes path; excludes the special . and .. entries. |
| Matching names or extensions | Path.glob(pattern) |
Yields matching paths, normally in one directory level unless the pattern specifies recursion. |
| Recursive pattern matching | Path.rglob(pattern) |
Yields matching paths below the directory; order is not guaranteed. |
| Process a tree one directory at a time | Path.walk() or os.walk() |
Provides each directory with its subdirectory names and file names. Path.walk() requires Python 3.12 or later. |
| Names plus entry metadata | os.scandir(path) |
Yields DirEntry objects, useful when you also need file types or attributes. |
For more detail on the os options, see the Python os documentation.
List names with os.listdir()
If strings are more convenient than path objects, use os.listdir():
import os
names = os.listdir(".")The names are in arbitrary order. Sort them if you need consistent presentation: names = sorted(os.listdir(".")).
Match files by extension or pattern
Use glob() to select matching entries in a directory. For example, this finds Python files directly inside the current directory:
from pathlib import Path
python_files = list(Path(".").glob("*.py"))glob() yields paths that match the pattern, and the results are not guaranteed to be sorted. To produce stable ordering, use sorted(Path(".").glob("*.py")).
Search recursively through subdirectories
Use rglob() when matches may be nested below the starting directory:
from pathlib import Path
python_files = list(Path(".").rglob("*.py"))rglob("*.py") is equivalent to matching with glob("**/*.py"). A recursive search can take a long time on a large directory tree. Sort the results if a predictable order is required.
Walk a directory tree level by level
When you need to process each directory separately, Path.walk() yields the current directory, subdirectory names, and non-directory names:
from pathlib import Path
for directory, dirnames, filenames in Path(".").walk():
for filename in filenames:
print(directory / filename)Path.walk() was added in Python 3.12. For older Python versions, use os.walk(). By default, Path.walk() does not follow symlinks to directories and ignores scanning errors unless you provide an on_error handler. Enabling symlink following can lead to infinite recursion if a link points to a parent directory.
Account for ordering, hidden names, and errors
- Ordering:
iterdir(),listdir(), and glob results have no guaranteed order. Sort the returned paths or names when deterministic output matters. - Changing directories: If entries are added or removed while a directory is being scanned or iterated, whether those changes appear in the results is unspecified.
- Hidden names:
Path.glob()andPath.rglob()normally match dot-prefixed names. Theglobmodule instead requires a pattern beginning with a dot to match a hidden name by default; see the Python glob documentation. - Case sensitivity: By default, pathlib glob matching follows platform conventions, typically case-sensitive on POSIX and case-insensitive on Windows. Python 3.12 added an explicit
case_sensitiveoption. - Symlinks:
glob()andrglob()do not recurse through symlinks by default. Current pathlib versions providerecurse_symlinksto change that behavior;Path.walk()also defaults to not following symlink directories. - Glob scanning errors: In Python 3.13 and later,
Path.glob()andPath.rglob()suppressOSErrorexceptions raised during scanning. If a program must report permission or I/O errors rather than silently skip affected directories, account for that version-specific behavior.
Use os.scandir() when metadata matters
os.scandir() returns DirEntry objects rather than plain names. The Python Software Foundation notes that using it instead of listdir() can significantly improve performance when code also needs file-type or file-attribute information, because the operating system may provide that information during the scan. The benefit depends on the filesystem and workload; no fixed timing improvement is established. Consult the os documentation for the API details.
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