all Python 3statfunction

stat.S_ISLNK()

file type

Checks from st_mode that the object is a symbolic link. It only works with a mode taken from os.lstat().

Syntax

stat.S_ISLNK(os.lstat(path).st_mode)

The main trap: os.stat() follows the link and returns the target's mode, so S_ISLNK(os.stat(p).st_mode) is always False. Use os.lstat(p), os.stat(p, follow_symlinks=False) or DirEntry.stat(follow_symlinks=False). On Windows, creating a link with os.symlink() needs Developer Mode or administrator rights.

Examples

import os, stat
open('target.txt', 'w').close()
os.symlink('target.txt', 'link.txt')
print(stat.S_ISLNK(os.stat('link.txt').st_mode))  # → False — stat() прошёл по ссылке
print(stat.S_ISLNK(os.lstat('link.txt').st_mode))  # → True

See also

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