Remove hard-coded or absolute paths in this project

[rrajpuro]

Here are some best practices for unbinding paths in a Python project:
project:

1. Use Relative Paths:
   Instead of using absolute paths like C:\Users\Username\Documents\project\file.txt, use relative paths like ./file.txt or ../folder/file.txt. Relative paths are resolved relative to the current working directory, which makes your code more portable.

2. Get the Current Working Directory:
   You can use os.getcwd() to get the current working directory and then build your paths relative to that directory.

import os

current_directory = os.getcwd()
file_path = os.path.join(current_directory, 'file.txt')

3. Use __file__ to Get the Current Script's Directory:
   You can use the __file__ attribute to get the path of the current Python script and then use os.path.dirname() to extract the directory.

import os

script_directory = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
file_path = os.path.join(script_directory, 'file.txt')

4. Use Configuration Files or Environment Variables:
   Store configuration data, including file paths, in separate configuration files (e.g., JSON, YAML) or environment variables. This allows you to change paths without modifying your code.

5. Use Pathlib:
   The pathlib module in Python provides a more modern and user-friendly way to work with file paths. It's available in Python 3.4 and later versions.

from pathlib import Path

script_directory = Path(__file__).parent
file_path = script_directory / 'file.txt'

6. Use Constants or Constants Modules:
   Define constants for file paths in your code and use them throughout your project. If paths need to change, you only need to update them in one place.

FILE_PATH = './file.txt'

7. Handle Path Errors Gracefully:
   When working with file paths, always handle exceptions that may occur if a file or directory doesn't exist. This prevents your program from crashing and provides better error messages for debugging.

import os

file_path = './file.txt'

try:
    with open(file_path, 'r') as file:
        # Do something with the file
except FileNotFoundError:
    print(f"File '{file_path}' not found.")

By following these best practices, you can make your Python projects more portable and robust, reducing the risk of broken paths when moving or deploying your code in different environments.