Why is the order of files returned by `os.listdir()` inconsistent?

Alphanumeric Order Issue with os.listdir()

When working with directories in Python using os.listdir(), users may face unexpected list ordering of subdirectories. The default order, which was once alphanumeric, now appears inconsistent and nonsensical. This article investigates the factors determining the displayed order of these lists.

Problem:

In a directory containing subdirectories named run01 to run20, os.listdir(os.getcwd()) returns a list in an order such as:

['run01', 'run18', 'run14', 'run13', 'run12', 'run11', 'run08', ...]

Solution:

The order of the list retrieved by os.listdir() can be manipulated using sorted(). To sort the list alphanumerically, use:

sorted(os.listdir(whatever_directory))

Alternatively, use the .sort() method of the list itself:

lst = os.listdir(whatever_directory)
lst.sort()

Note: The original order of filenames returned by os.listdir() is determined by the underlying filesystem and may vary between systems.

The above is the detailed content of Why is the order of files returned by `os.listdir()` inconsistent?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!