rest_of_the_docs.md

Rest of the docs

See also

• For basic usage, please see the front page.
• Deeper dive on Windows PATH variables.

Details on underlying function calls

• For temporary (Process) Path get/set, the Python os.environ['PATH'] is used.
• For permanent (User/System) Path get/set, pathtub uses Powershell commands under the hood.
  • [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable(...)
  • [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable(...)

Advanced usage topics

• Getting path variables
• Adding permanently to PATH (User)
• Adding permanently to PATH (System/Machine)
• Removing permanently from PATH (User)
• Removing permanently from PATH (System/Machine)
• Checking if folder is in PATH

Getting path variables

from pathtub import get_path

# Reads os.environ['PATH'], which is same as PATH (cmd) or $Env:Path (powershell)
path = get_path() # same as get_path('process')
# Reads [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable('Path', 'User')
path_user = get_path("user")
# Reads [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable('Path', 'Machine')
path_machine = get_path("machine")

Example output

In [1]: print(get_path('user')) # returns a str
C:\Python\Python37\Scripts\;C:\Python\Python37\;C:\Python\Python37-32\Scripts\;C:\Python\Python37-32\;C:\Users\USER\AppData\Roaming\npm;C:\Users\USER\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;C:\Program Files\Microsoft VS Code\bin;C:\Programs;C:\Programs\fciv;C:\texlive\2018\bin\win32;C:\Programs\apache-maven-3.6.2\bin;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-13.0.1\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Oracle\Java\javapath;C:\Programs\cloc;C:\Users\USER\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\bin;

Adding permanently to PATH (User)

• Setting PATH (User) variable will make permanent changes to PATH variable (of course the changes can be reverted by removing the item from the PATH.)
• Adding a folder to PATH

In [1]: from pathtub import add_to_path

In [2]: added = add_to_path(r'C:\My new folder\added to user PATH','user')

In [3]: added
Out[3]: True

# There is protection against adding duplicate entries
In [4]: added = add_to_path(r'C:\My new folder\added to user PATH', 'user')

In [5]: added
Out[5]: False

• User PATH before and after running the code above.

Adding permanently to PATH (System/Machine)

• Similar to setting User PATH variables
• Setting PATH (System/Machine) variable will make permanent changes to PATH variable (of course the changes can be reverted by removing the item from the PATH.)
• Change mode to "machine" and Run the script with Admin rights.

from pathtub import add_to_path
added = add_to_path(r'C:\My new folder\added to machine PATH', mode='machine')

Removing permanently from PATH (User)

In [1]: from pathtub import remove_from_path

In [2]: removed = remove_from_path(r'C:\My new folder\added to user PATH', 'user')

In [3]: removed
Out[3]: True

# Can only remove once. Safe to call multiple times.
In [4]: removed = remove_from_path(r'C:\My new folder\added to user PATH', 'user')

In [5]: removed
Out[5]: False

Removing permanently from PATH (System/Machine)

• Similar to removing User PATH variables
• Change mode to "machine" and Run the script with Admin rights.

from pathtub import add_to_path
removed = remove_from_path(r'C:\My new folder\added to machine PATH', mode='machine')

Checking if folder is in PATH

• Note: You don't have to worry if the saved PATH item ends with a backslash or not; both cases are checked.

# Check the os.environ['PATH'] / PATH (cmd) / $Env:Path (Powershell) 
found = is_in_path() # same as is_in_path("process") 

# Checks the `[Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable('Path','User')`; The "User PATH"
found_user = is_in_path("user")

# Checks the `[Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable('Path','Machine')`; The "System PATH"
found = is_in_path("machine")

Example

In [1]: from pathtub import is_in_path

In [2]: found = is_in_path('C:\\Python\\Python37\\', 'user')

In [3]: found
Out[3]: True

# It does not matter if the seach folder or the folder saved
# to PATH has "\" as the last character.
In [4]: found = is_in_path(r'C:\Python\Python37', 'user')

In [5]: found
Out[5]: True

In [6]: found = is_in_path(r'C:\Nonexistent\path', 'user')

In [7]: found
Out[7]: False