Python | os.listdir() method

os.listdir() method in python is used to get the list of all files and directories in the specified directory. If we don’t specify any directory, then list of files and directories in the current working directory will be returned.

Syntax: os.listdir(path)

Parameters:
path (optional) : path of the directory

Return Type: This method returns the list of all files and directories in the specified path. The return type of this method is list.

Code #1: use of os.listdir() method

# Python program to explain os.listdir() method

# importing os module
import os

# Get the list of all files and directories
# in the root directory
path = "/"
dir_list = os.listdir(path)

print("Files and directories in '", path, "' :")

# print the list
print(dir_list)

Output:

Files and directories in ' / ' :
['sys', 'run', 'tmp', 'boot', 'mnt', 'dev', 'proc', 'var', 'bin', 'lib64', 'usr', 
'lib', 'srv', 'home', 'etc', 'opt', 'sbin', 'media']

Code #2: use of os.listdir() method

# Python program to explain os.listdir() method

# importing os module
import os

# Get the path of current working directory
path = os.getcwd()

# Get the list of all files and directories
# in current working directory
dir_list = os.listdir(path)


print("Files and directories in '", path, "' :")
# print the list
print(dir_list)

Output:

Files and directories in ' /home/ihritik ' :
['.rstudio-desktop', '.gnome', '.ipython', '.cache', '.config', '.ssh', 'Public',
'Desktop', '.pki', 'R', '.bash_history', '.Rhistory', '.oracle_jre_usage', 'Music', 
'.ICEauthority', 'Documents', 'examples.desktop', '.swipl-dir-history', '.local', 
'.gnupg', '.profile', 'Pictures', '.keras', '.viminfo', '.thunderbird', 'Templates',
'.bashrc', '.bash_logout', '.sudo_as_admin_successful', 'Videos', 'images', 
'tf_wx_model', 'Downloads', '.mozilla', 'geeksforgeeks']

Code #3: omitting path parameter

# Python program to explain os.listdir() method

# importing os module
import os


# If we do not specify any path
# os.listdir() method will return
# the list of all files and directories
# in current working directory

dir_list = os.listdir()

print("Files and directories in  current working directory :")

# print the list
print(dir_list)

Output:

Files and directories in current working directory :
['.rstudio-desktop', '.gnome', '.ipython', '.cache', '.config', '.ssh', 'Public',
'Desktop', '.pki', 'R', '.bash_history', '.Rhistory', '.oracle_jre_usage', 'Music', 
'.ICEauthority', 'Documents', 'examples.desktop', '.swipl-dir-history', '.local', 
'.gnupg', '.profile', 'Pictures', '.keras', '.viminfo', '.thunderbird', 'Templates',
'.bashrc', '.bash_logout', '.sudo_as_admin_successful', 'Videos', 'images', 
'tf_wx_model', 'Downloads', '.mozilla', 'geeksforgeeks']

As we can see the output of Code #2 and Code #3 are same. So if we omit the path parameter os.listdir() method will return the list of all files and directories in the current working directory.