New submission from Jim Garrison: As of Python 3.2, `os.makedirs()` takes `exist_ok` as a keyword argument. If set to true, the function does not raise an error if the directory already exists. This makes the function's behavior similar to `mkdir -p` on the UNIX commandline. (See https://docs.python.org/3/library/os.html#os.makedirs)
However, this functionality is missing in Python's new pathlib. In fact, the documentation for `Path.mkdir()` even mentions that if `parent=True` is passed, then it should behave like `mkdir -p`. This is accurate in that it indeed recursively makes any parent directories necessary, but it is inaccurate in that it raises an error if the directory already exists. I propose that either `parents=True` should imply that there is no error if the directory already exists (which would be a backwards-incompatible change); or, there could be a new `exist_ok=True`, which could suppress the error for an existing directory. Either way, it ought to be possible to get the `mkdir -p` functionality easily from pathlib. And the documentation for `Path.mkdir()` should be updated to explain how to get this `mkdir -p` functionality, with the existing (inaccurate) `mkdir -p` mention removed. ---------- components: Library (Lib) messages: 218832 nosy: garrison priority: normal severity: normal status: open title: pathlib's Path.mkdir() should allow for "mkdir -p" functionality type: enhancement _______________________________________ Python tracker <rep...@bugs.python.org> <http://bugs.python.org/issue21539> _______________________________________ _______________________________________________ Python-bugs-list mailing list Unsubscribe: https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-bugs-list/archive%40mail-archive.com
