Python os.mkdir Method

The os.mkdir() method in Python is a function provided by the os module that is used to create a new directory (folder) with the specified name. It allows you to programmatically create directories within your file system.

Here’s the official definition of os.mkdir():

import os

os.mkdir(path, mode=0o777, *, dir_fd=None)

import os

directory_path = '/path/to/new/directory'
os.mkdir(directory_path)

• path: A string that specifies the name and path of the directory you want to create.
• mode (optional): An integer that sets the permissions for the newly created directory. The default value is 0o777, which gives read, write, and execute permissions to the owner, group, and others. You can specify a different mode using octal notation, such as 0o755 or 0o700, depending on the desired permissions.
• dir_fd (optional): Represents a file descriptor of the directory in which the new directory should be created. If dir_fd is specified, the path parameter is treated as a relative path with respect to the directory represented by dir_fd.

The os.mkdir() method creates a directory at the specified path, relative to the current working directory unless an absolute path is provided. It raises an exception if the directory already exists, if there are permission issues, or if the path is invalid.

Note: the os.mkdir() method only creates a single directory. If you want to create multiple directories, including any necessary parent directories, you can use os.makedirs() instead

Python os.mkdir example

Here’s an example that demonstrates the usage of os.mkdir() to create a directory:

import os

directory_name = "my_directory"

try:
    os.mkdir(directory_name)
    print(f"Directory '{directory_name}' created successfully!")
except FileExistsError:
    print(f"Directory '{directory_name}' already exists!")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"An error occurred: {str(e)}")

Output:

In this example:

1. We import the os module.
2. We define the name of the directory we want to create as directory_name.
3. We use a try-except block to handle exceptions that may occur during the creation of the directory.
4. Inside the try block, we call os.mkdir(directory_name) to create the directory.
5. If the directory is successfully created, we print a success message.
6. If the directory already exists, a FileExistsError will be raised, and we print a corresponding message.
7. If any other exception occurs, we catch it using the generic Exception class, retrieve the error message using str(e), and print an error message.

Remember to replace "my_directory" with the desired name of the directory you want to create.

Note: IDE: PyCharm 2021.3.3 (Community Edition)

Windows 10

Python 3.10.1

All Python Examples are in Python 3, so Maybe its different from python 2 or upgraded versions.