Find the current directory and file's directory [duplicate]

When working with scripts or handling files, it’s common to ask — “Where exactly am I running this from?” or “What’s the full path of the file I’m working with?” Luckily, most programming languages have built-in ways to help you figure this out.

In Python:

To get the current working directory, you can use:

import os

print(os.getcwd())

To get the directory of the current script or file, use:

import os

print(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))

In Java:

To get the current working directory:

  System.out.println(System.getProperty("user.dir"));

To get the path of a file (e.g., for a File object):

File file = new File("example.txt");

System.out.println(file.getAbsolutePath());

In JavaScript (Node.js):

To get the current directory:

  console.log(__dirname);

Why it matters:

• You might need to read/write files relative to your working directory.
  
• Some scripts behave differently depending on where they’re run from.
  
• File path issues are a common source of bugs — this helps you debug faster.
  

 Tip: Always use full paths or build paths dynamically to avoid confusion when running scripts from different environments.