Python os.path.sameopenfile() Method

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The Python os.path.sameopenfile() method is used to check whether two file descriptors refer to the same file or directory in the file system.

If both file descriptors refer to the same open file or directory (even if they are different descriptors), the method returns True. If the file descriptors do not refer to the same open file or directory, it returns False.

Syntax

Following is the basic syntax of the Python os.path.sameopenfile() method −

os.path.sameopenfile(fp1, fp2)

Parameter

This method accepts the following parameters −

• fp1 − This is the file descriptor of the first file to be compared.

• fp2 − This is the file descriptor of the second file to be compared.

Return Value

The method returns a boolean value "True" or "False". It returns True if both file descriptors refer to the same file, otherwise it returns False.

Example

In the following example, we are opening the same file "C://Users//Lenovo//Desktop//file.txt" twice with different file descriptors "fd1" and "fd2". We are then checking if both file descriptors refer to the same file using the sameopenfile() method −

import os
fd1 = os.open("C://Users//Lenovo//Desktop//file.txt", os.O_RDONLY)
fd2 = os.open("C://Users//Lenovo//Desktop//file.txt", os.O_RDONLY)
result = os.path.sameopenfile(fd1, fd2)
print("The result obtained is:",result)    

Output

Following is the output of the above code −

The result obtained is: True

Example

Here, we open two different files with different file descriptors "fd1" and "fd2". We then check if both file descriptors refer to the same file or not −

import os
fd1 = os.open("C://Users//Lenovo//Desktop//file.txt", os.O_RDONLY)
fd2 = os.open("C://Users//Lenovo//Desktop//file2.txt", os.O_RDONLY)
result = os.path.sameopenfile(fd1, fd2)
print("The result obtained is:",result)   

Output

Output of the above code is as follows −

The result obtained is: False

Example

This example opens the file "file.txt" with a file descriptor "fd1", closes "fd1", opens the same file again with a new file descriptor "fd2", and checks if both file descriptors refer to the same file.

Even though "fd1" is closed, its file descriptor is still associated with the same file until the operating system reuses it, so the output is True" −

import os
fd1 = os.open("C://Users//Lenovo//Desktop//file.txt", os.O_RDONLY)
os.close(fd1)
fd2 = os.open("C://Users//Lenovo//Desktop//file.txt", os.O_RDONLY)
result = os.path.sameopenfile(fd1, fd2)
print("The result obtained is:",result)   

Output

The result produced is as follows −

The result obtained is: True

Example

Now, we open two files with file descriptors "fd1" and "fd2", then check whether both file descriptors refer to the same file. Since both file do not exist, the method returns "FileNotFoundError" −

import os
fd1 = os.open("/home/lenovo/documents/file.txt", os.O_RDONLY)
fd2 = os.open("/home/lenovo/documents/file.txt", os.O_RDONLY)
result = os.path.sameopenfile(fd1, fd2)
print("The result obtained is:",result)  

Output

We get the output as shown below −

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\Lenovo\Desktop\untitled.py", line 2, in <module>
    fd1 = os.open("/home/lenovo/documents/file.txt", os.O_RDONLY)
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/home/lenovo/documents/file.txt'