Permission denied when trying to write to file from a view

Question

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I have a view that attempts to execute f = open(\'textfile.txt\', \'w\') but on my live server this brings

Answer 1

Given the following:

f = open('textfile.txt', 'w')

It should be creating the file in same directory as __file__, the currently running script or views.py in your scenario.

However, it's better to be explicit, and therefore rule out any potential deviations. I'd recommend changing that line to:

import os
f = open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'textfile.txt'), 'w')

Or even better, something like:

import os
from django.conf import settings
f = open(os.path.join(settings.MEDIA_ROOT, 'textfile.txt'), 'w')

Then, you're always assured exactly where the file is being saved, which should allow you to optimize your permissions more appropriately. Alternatively, you can use a PROJECT_ROOT.