def identify(path_name, *, override=None, check_exists=True, default=ISDIR):
    """
    Identify the type of a given path name (file or directory). If check_exists
    is specified to be false, then the function will not set the identity based
    on the path existing or not. If override is specified as either ISDIR or
    ISFILE, then the function will try its best to over-ride the identity to be
    what you have specified. The 'default' parameter is what the function will
    default the identity to if 'override' is not specified, and the path looks
    like it could be both a directory and a file.
    """

    head, tail = os.path.split(path_name)

    if check_exists and os.path.exists(path_name):
        if os.path.isfile(path_name):
            if override == ISDIR:
                raise ValueError("Cannot override a path as a directory if it "
                                 "is a file that already exists")
            result = ISFILE
        elif os.path.isdir(path_name):
            if override == ISFILE:
                raise ValueError("Cannot override a path as a file if it is "
                                 "a directory that already exists")
            result = ISDIR
        else:
            raise Exception("Path exists but isn't a file or a directory...")
    elif not tail:
        if override == ISFILE:
            raise ValueError("Cannot interpret a path with a slash at the end "
                             "to be a file")
        result = ISDIR
    elif has_ext(tail, if_all_ext=True):
        if override is None:
            result = ISFILE
        else:
            result = override
    else:
        if override is None:
            result = default
        else:
            result = override

    return result
def identify ( path_name , * , override = None , check_exists = True , default = ISDIR ) : head , tail = os . path . split ( path_name ) if check_exists and os . path . exists ( path_name ) : if os . path . isfile ( path_name ) : if override == ISDIR : raise ValueError ( "Cannot override a path as a directory if it " "is a file that already exists" ) result = ISFILE elif os . path . isdir ( path_name ) : if override == ISFILE : raise ValueError ( "Cannot override a path as a file if it is " "a directory that already exists" ) result = ISDIR else : raise Exception ( "Path exists but isn't a file or a directory..." ) elif not tail : if override == ISFILE : raise ValueError ( "Cannot interpret a path with a slash at the end " "to be a file" ) result = ISDIR elif has_ext ( tail , if_all_ext = True ) : if override is None : result = ISFILE else : result = override else : if override is None : result = default else : result = override return result
Identify the type of a given path name (file or directory). If check_exists
    is specified to be false, then the function will not set the identity based
    on the path existing or not. If override is specified as either ISDIR or
    ISFILE, then the function will try its best to over-ride the identity to be
    what you have specified. The 'default' parameter is what the function will
    default the identity to if 'override' is not specified, and the path looks
    like it could be both a directory and a file.