[Python-bugs-list] [ python-Bugs-738617 ] On Windows, os.listdir() throws incorrect exception

[SourceForge.net]

Bugs item #738617, was opened at 2003-05-16 13:11
Message generated for change (Tracker Item Submitted) made by Item Submitter
You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=105470&aid=738617&group_id=5470

Category: None
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 5
Submitted By: Mike Thompson (mikethompson)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: On Windows, os.listdir() throws incorrect exception

Initial Comment:

ActivePython 2.2.2 Build 224 (ActiveState Corp.) based 
on
Python 2.2.2 (#37, Nov 26 2002, 10:24:37) [MSC 32 bit 
(Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more 
information.
>>> import os
>>> os.listdir('c:\IMPOSSIBLE')
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in ?
WindowsError: [Errno 3] The system cannot find the 
path specified:
'c:\IMPOSSIBLE/*.*'


This is the wrong exception I would have thought.

AIUI, WindowsError is thrown for uniquely Windows 
types of problems.  Path not found is not unique to 
Windows.

I would have expected an os.error exception to have 
been thrown together with an code of errno.ENOENT.  
This is what happens if I try to open() a non existent file. 

(Caution:  I'm a python newbie and I could easily have 
missed something here -- If so sorry to waste your time)

The deadly part about this bug is that WindowsError 
subclasses os.error, just the code changes (3 instead of 
2). So my   "except os.error"  worked to catch the 
exception ... just the error code seemed wrong.  Took 
be ages to figure it all out.







----------------------------------------------------------------------

You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=105470&aid=738617&group_id=5470