Python | os.path.samefile() method

Last Updated : 18 Jun, 2019

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 sub module of OS module in Python used for common path name manipulation.

os.path.samefile() method in Python is used to check whether the given two pathnames refer to the same file or directory or not. This is determined by comparing device number and i-node number of the given paths.
This method make use of os.stat() method to get device number and i-node number of the given paths. So, an exception will be raised if somehow an os.stat() call fails on either pathname.

Syntax: os.path.samefile(path1, path2)

Parameter:
path1: A path-like object representing the first file system path.
path2: A path-like object representing the second file system path.

A path-like object is either a string or bytes object representing a path.

Return Type: This method returns a Boolean value of class bool. This method returns True if both path refer to the same file otherwise returns False.

Code : Use of os.path.samefile() method to check whether given paths refer to same file or directory.

# Python program to explain os.path.samefile() method  
    
# importing os module  
import os 
  
# Path 
path1 = "/home / ihritik / Documents / file(original).txt"
  
# Create a symbolic link  
sym_link = "/home / ihritik / Desktop / file(shortcut).txt"
os.symlink(path1, sym_link) 
  
# Check whether the given 
# paths refer to the same 
# file or directory or not 
areSame = os.path.samefile(path1, sym_link) 
  
# Print the result 
print(areSame) 
  
# In above example, sym_link is  
# a symbolic link which refers 
# to path1, so os.path.samefile() method 
# will return True as both refer  
# to same file 
  
  
# First Path 
path2 = "/home / ihritik / GeeksForGeeks"
  
# Second path 
# consider the current working directory 
# is "/home / ihritik" 
path3 = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "GeeksForGeeks") 
  
# Check whether the given 
# paths refer to the same 
# file or directory or not 
areSame = os.path.samefile(path2, path3) 
  
# Print the result 
print(areSame) 