Python | os.readlink() 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.

All functions in os module raise OSError in the case of invalid or inaccessible file names and paths, or other arguments that have the correct type, but are not accepted by the operating system.

os.readlink() method in Python is used to resolve a symbolic link. This method returns the path to which symbolic link points.

Syntax: os.readlink(path, *, dir_fd = None)

Parameter:
path: A path-like object representing a file path. A path-like object is either a string or bytes object representing a path.
dir_fd (optional) : A file descriptor referring to a directory. The default value of this parameter is None.
If the specified path is absolute then dir_fd is ignored.

Note: The ‘*’ in parameter list indicates that all following parameters (Here in our case ‘dir_fd’) are keyword-only parameters and they can be provided using their name, not as positional parameter.

Return Type: This method return a string object if the specified path is also a string object and a byte object if the specified path is a byte object. The returned value represents the path to which symbolic link points.

Code: Use of os.readlink() method to resolve a symbolic link

# Python program to explain os.readlink() method

# importing os module
import os

# Original file path
path = "/home/ihritik/Documents/file.txt"

# Create a symbolic link
# of above path
# using os.symlink() method
link = "/home/ihritik/Desktop/file(symlink).txt"
os.symlink(path, link)


# So, link is a symbolic link
# Now using os.readlink() method
# resolve the symbolic link
originalPath = os.readlink(link)


# print the path to which
# symbolic link points
print("Symbolic link points to", originalPath)


# If the given path is not a
# symbolic link then
# os.readlink() method will
# raise an OSError

Output:

Symbolic link points to /home/ihritik/Documents/file.txt

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