How do I find out my python path using python

Question

How do I find out which directories are listed in my system   s PYTHONPATH variable  from within a Python script  or the interactive shell

User · Answer

PYTHONPATH is an environment variable whose value is a list of directories. Once set, it is used by Python to search for imported modules, along with other std. and 3rd-party library directories listed in Python's "sys.path".

As any other environment variables, you can either export it in shell or in ~/.bashrc, see here. You can query os.environ['PYTHONPATH'] for its value in Python as shown below:

$ python3 -c "import os, sys; print(os.environ['PYTHONPATH']); print(sys.path) if 'PYTHONPATH' in sorted(os.environ) else print('PYTHONPATH is not defined')"

IF defined in shell as

$ export PYTHONPATH=$HOME/Documents/DjangoTutorial/mysite

THEN result =>

/home/Documents/DjangoTutorial/mysite
['', '/home/Documents/DjangoTutorial/mysite', '/usr/local/lib/python37.zip', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7/lib-dynload', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages']

ELSE result =>

PYTHONPATH is not defined

To set PYTHONPATH to multiple paths, see here.

Note that one can add or delete a search path via sys.path.insert(), del or remove() at run-time, but NOT through os.environ[]. Example:

>>> os.environ['PYTHONPATH']="$HOME/Documents/DjangoTutorial/mysite"
>>> 'PYTHONPATH' in sorted(os.environ)
True
>>> sys.path // but Not there
['', '/usr/local/lib/python37.zip', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7/lib-dynload', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages']

>>> sys.path.insert(0,os.environ['PYTHONPATH'])
>>> sys.path // It's there
['$HOME/Documents/DjangoTutorial/mysite', '', '/usr/local/lib/python37.zip', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7/lib-dynload', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages']
>>>

In summary, PYTHONPATH is one way of specifying the Python search path(s) for imported modules in sys.path. You can also apply list operations directly to sys.path without the aid of PYTHONPATH.

User · Answer

Works in windows 10  essentially identical to vanuan s answer  but cleaner  taken from somewhere  can t remember where     import sys for p in sys path      print p

User · Answer

Can t seem to edit the other answer   Has a minor error in that it is Windows-only   The more generic solution is to use os sep as below   sys path might include items that aren t specifically in your PYTHONPATH environment variable  To query the variable directly  use   import os os environ  PYTHONPATH   split os pathsep

User · Answer

You would probably also want this   import sys print sys path    Or as a one liner from the terminal   python -c  import sys  print   n  join sys path        Caveat  If you have multiple versions of Python installed you should use a corresponding command python2 or python3

User · Answer

Python tells me where it lives when it gives me an error message      gt  gt  gt  import os  gt  gt  gt  os environ  PYTHONPATH   split os pathsep  Traceback  most recent call last     File   lt stdin gt    line 1  in  lt module gt    File  C  Users martin AppData Local Programs Python Python36-32 lib os py   line 669  in   getitem       raise KeyError key  from None KeyError   PYTHONPATH   gt  gt  gt

User · Answer

sys path might include items that aren t specifically in your PYTHONPATH environment variable  To query the variable directly  use   import os try      user paths   os environ  PYTHONPATH   split os pathsep  except KeyError      user paths

User · Answer

import sys for a in sys path      a replace                  print a   It will give all the paths ready for place in the Windows

User · Answer

import subprocess python path   subprocess check output  quot which python quot   shell True  strip   python path   python path decode  utf-8

User · Answer

If using conda  you can get the env prefix using os environ  quot CONDA PREFIX quot

[python] How do I find out my python path using python?

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