How do I get the filename without the extension from a path in Python?

os.path vs pathlib: Choose your Fighter

Classic os.path: Old is Gold

os.path is one part of the standard library and it has been providing a helping hand for longer. Dealing with legacy code or systems that don't recognize pathlib? os.path will be your knight in shining armor:

import os

file_path = '/path/to/some_file.mp3'
# "I'll be back!" - Head (probably)
head, tail = os.path.split(file_path)
# Tail: "Why am I always the bad guy?" 
filename = os.path.splitext(tail)[0]
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This will return 'some_file'—like magic, but not!

Modern pathlib: The Future is Here!

pathlib is a recent addition to Python and is in line with the object-oriented programming (OOP) paradigm. Starting a new Python project? pathlib is a great choice as it makes dealing with paths as easy as pie:

from pathlib import Path

file_path = Path('/path/to/some_file.mp3')
# pathlib.stem: "Don't mind if I do!"
filename = file_path.stem
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Bam! You get 'some_file', your filename without its extension.

Parsing Multiple File Extensions

Case of Multiple Dots in Filenames

When a file name has multiple dots, os.path.splitext() only removes the part after the final dot. This is useful when working with documents like archive.tar.gz :

import os

file_path = 'archive.tar.gz'
# extension: "Whoops! There I go again!"
filename = os.path.splitext(file_path)[0]
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This will return filename as 'archive.tar'.

Tricky pathlib Situation

When using pathlib, remember that .stem treats multiple extensions as part of the filename:

from pathlib import Path

file_path = Path('archive.tar.gz')
filename = file_path.stem
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Here, filename will give you 'archive.tar'.

Find Your Path with pathlib

Relative paths or symbolic links? Python's pathlib allows you to resolve these to their absolute form and then get the filename:

from pathlib import Path

file_path = Path('./relative/path/to/file.txt').resolve()
# File path: "I've finally found myself!"
filename = file_path.stem
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And just like that, filename gives you 'file'.

Robust Path Handling: Be ready for anything!

Filenames with Spaces and Special Characters

Filenames with spaces or special characters? No problem. Wrap your file paths in quotes or use escape sequences:

from pathlib import Path

file_path = Path('"some file with spaces.txt"')
filename = file_path.stem
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Unicode filenames

Python supports Unicode filenames. Here's how pathlib would handle them:

from pathlib import Path

file_path = Path('æøå.txt')
filename = file_path.stem
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Case Sensitivity

Remember that file paths could be case-sensitive depending on the operating system. Always check the case of your file when performing operations that include filename matches or uniqueness checks.