python return empty list from function

Question

I am sorry to ask such a basic question but I am trying to learn python and don't understand why this does not work. When I run this program on a directory it prints and empty list []. I don't understand why. Can someone help? Python 3.

import sys, os, 



def getfiles(currdir):
    myfiles = []
    for file in os.listdir(currdir):
         for file in os.listdir(currdir):
            path = os.path.join(currdir,file)
            if not os.path.isdir(path):
                myfiles.append(path)
            else:
                getfiles(path)
    return(myfiles)




if __name__ == '__main__':
    filedirectory = []
    filedirectory = getfiles(sys.argv[1])
    print(filedirectory)

This returns []

Thank you for the help

Answer 1

If i understand you want to get all of the file names in a specific directory. here is my code to do that :

Import os
AllFiles = []
AllFiles = os.listdir("your Directory")

listdir() return all files name in the specific directory.

Answer 2

Well, at least one case where your function will return an empty list, is if the topmost directory contains only directories. Here's your code (after removing the redundant loop):

for file in os.listdir(currdir):
    path = os.path.join(currdir,file)
    if not os.path.isdir(path):
        myfiles.append(path)
    else:
        getfiles(path)

If the else part is reached, then you recursively call getfiles(path) . Unfortunately, you don't do anything with the result, and actually just throw it away. You probably meant the last line to be something like

        myfiles.extend(getfiles(path))

---

Additionally, you might want to check out os.walk , as it does what it seems you're trying to do here.