🔒 Attempting to create single exe file that can read data files and folders from relative directory

[desert lotus]

I have a program that reads, edits and writes to a lot of folders using a relative path. I want to convert this file to an exe and have that exe file be able to simply 'take the place' of that python file, so that the executable can be moved to different directories with the same file structure and still work well with different data. I'm trying to use pyinstaller to do this, but I'm confused about the --add-data parameter.

Inside of the docs, it says that if --one-file is chosen, then it will create a temporary directory with the data files and operate there, then delete it when the program finishes running.

[distant river]

@desert lotus

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[desert lotus]

If I add a relative path to that parameter, will the exe use that same relative path wherever it is or is it just on the exe's creation?

if it's the latter, then how can I make an single exe able to work with files using relative paths?

[wise pilot]

Pyinstaller docs recommend reading sys.executable if you want the exe's location: https://pyinstaller.org/en/stable/runtime-information.html#using-sys-executable-and-sys-argv-0

Wait, or are you asking how to reference data files? In that case use __file__ and you'll get the path to the unpacked bundle.

[desert lotus]

My answer to that is another question

[desert lotus]

this one

like

let's say the a directory has main.py and data.txt

[wise pilot]

--add-data is for including files into the bundle while building. If you want to read some file from outside the bundle, you don't need it.

[desert lotus]

oh ok then that answers that

so then I should use sys.executable to locate the files at runtime?

[wise pilot]

To locate the .exe, sure

[distant river]

Python help channel closed

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