Python | os.path.commonprefix() method

OS module in Python provides functions for interacting with the operating system. OS comes under Python’s standard utility modules. This module provides a portable way of using operating system dependent functionality. os.path module is submodule of OS module in Python used for common path name manipulation.

os.path.commonprefix() method in Python is used to get longest common path prefix in a list of paths. This method returns only common prefix value in the specified list, returned value may or may not be a valid path as it check for common prefix by comparing character by character in the list.
For example consider the following list of paths:

          list of paths                     common prefix
['/home/User/Photos', /home/User/Videos']    /home/User/         A valid path
['/usr/local/bin', '/usr/lib']               /usr/l              Not a valid path

Syntax: os.path.commonprefix(list)

Parameter:
path: A list of path-like object. A path-like object is either a string or bytes object representing a path.

Return Type: This method returns a string value which represents the longest common path prefix in specified list.

Code #1: Use of os.path.commonprefix() method

# Python program to explain os.path.commonprefix() method

# importing os module
import os

# List of Paths
paths = ['/home/User/Desktop', '/home/User/Documents',
         '/home/User/Downloads']

# Get the
# longest common path prefix
# in the specified list
prefix = os.path.commonprefix(paths)


# Print the
# longest common path prefix
# in the specified list
print("Longest common path prefix:", prefix)


# List of Paths
paths = ['/usr/local/bin', '/usr/bin']

# Get the
# longest common path prefix
# in the specified list
prefix = os.path.commonprefix(paths)


# Print the
# longest common path prefix
# in the specified list
print("Longest common path prefix:", prefix)

Output:

Longest common path prefix: /home/User/D
Longest common path prefix: /usr/

Note: If the specified list is empty, os.path.commonprefix() method will return a empty string.

Reference: https://docs.python.org/3/library/os.path.html