# Get the current script file's full directory path in Python

**URL:** https://sentry.io/answers/get-the-current-script-file-s-full-directory-path-in-python/

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## The Problem

How can I access the absolute path of the directory containing the current script file in Python? For example, if my script is `/home/user/scripts/runner.py`, I would like the output `home/user/scripts`.

## The Solution

We can do this using the special [`__file__`](https://docs.python.org/3/reference/import.html?#file__) variable along with Python's built-in library for filesystem path operations, [`pathlib`](https://docs.python.org/3/library/pathlib.html). For example:

```python
import pathlib
script_directory = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.resolve()

print(script_directory)
```

The `__file__` variable contains the absolute path of the currently executing script. Following the example above, this would be `/home/user/scripts/runner.py`. Our code creates a `Path` object from this value and accesses its [`parent`](https://docs.python.org/3/library/pathlib.html#pathlib.PurePath.parent) attribute – this will be the script's containing directory. We then use the [`resolve`](https://docs.python.org/3/library/pathlib.html#pathlib.Path.resolve) method to make it an absolute path.

The final call to `resolve()` is technically only necessary in Python versions prior to 3.9. Before version 3.9, the `__file__` variable could contain either an absolute or relative path to the current script, depending on how it was called. Since 3.9, `__file__` is set to an absolute path for the `__main__` module when a script is run directly (e.g. `python script.py`). Using `resolve()` is still good practice for portability.

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*Source: [sentry.io/answers/get-the-current-script-file-s-full-directory-path-in-python/](https://sentry.io/answers/get-the-current-script-file-s-full-directory-path-in-python/)*