Python creating subdirectory with user input

Question

I am trying to make a script that makes a directory (name input) and makes a second directory in that just created input folder.

import os
import sys


user_input = raw_input("Enter name: ")
user_input1 = raw_input('Enter case: ')

path = user_input
if not os.path.exists(path):
    os.makedirs(path)
path = user_input1
if not os.path.exists(user_input/user_input1):
    os.makedirs(path)

I get

if not os.path.exists(user_input/user_input1):
TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for /: 'str' and 'str'

What am I doing wrong here?

I tried doing this:

if not os.path.exists('/user_input1/user_input'):

But that results in it making two separate directories not subdirectories

Answer 1

To create a sub directory, you need to concatenate the separator in between the two inputs which can be done as :

if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(user_input, user_input1)):
    os.makedirs(os.path.join(user_input, user_input1))

You need to keep in mind that while checking for the second input string which is a sub directory, you pass os.path.join(user_input, user_input1), as passing only user_input1 would not create a sub directory.

Answer 2

os.path.exists() is expecting a string. Use this instead:

if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(user_input, user_input1):
    os.makedirs(path)

Also to make your code easier to read you shouldn't reuse the path variable like that. It make sit confusing to others reading your code. This is much clearer:

import os
import sys


path1 = raw_input("Enter name: ")
path2 = raw_input('Enter case: ')

if not os.path.exists(path1):
    os.makedirs(path1)
if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(path1, path2):
    os.makedirs(path2)

Answer 3

this should work:

import os
import sys

user_input = raw_input("Enter name: ")
user_input1 = raw_input('Enter case: ')

path1 = user_input
if not os.path.exists(path1):
    os.makedirs(path1)
path2 = user_input1
if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(user_input, user_input1)):
    os.makedirs(os.path.join(path1, path2))