Detaching file location input from Mapdl.input (#783)

* Added `_get_file_path` function.

* Added test function.

* Variable name fixed.

* Apply suggestions from code review

Co-authored-by: Alex Kaszynski <[email protected]>

* Fixing input.

* Fixing test unit.

* Fixed unit test.

* Fixing the _get_file_path function.

* Fixing the _get_file_path function.

* Improving docstring

* Improving docstring

* Fixed unit test.

* Fixed _get_path...

* Fix ... again.

Co-authored-by: Alex Kaszynski <[email protected]>

ansys/mapdl/core/mapdl_grpc.py

@@ -1128,38 +1128,7 @@ def input(
         """
         # always check if file is present as the grpc and MAPDL errors
         # are unclear
-        if self._local:
-            if os.path.isdir(fname):
-                raise ValueError(f"`fname` should be a full file path or name, not the directory '{fname}'.")
-            else:
-                # It must be a file!
-                if os.path.isfile(fname):
-                    # And it exist!
-                    filename = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), fname)
-                elif fname in self.list_files(): #
-                    # It exists in the Mapdl working directory
-                    filename = os.path.join(self.directory, fname)
-                elif os.path.dirname(fname):
-                    raise ValueError(f"'{fname}' appears to be an incomplete directory path rather than a filename.")
-                else:
-                    # Finally
-                    raise FileNotFoundError(f"Unable to locate filename '{fname}'")
-
-        else:
-            if not os.path.dirname(fname):
-                # might be trying to run a local file.  Check if the
-                # file exists remotely.
-                if fname not in self.list_files():
-                    self.upload(fname, progress_bar=progress_bar)
-                filename = fname
-            else:
-                # upload the file if it exists locally
-                if os.path.isfile(fname):
-                    self.upload(fname, progress_bar=progress_bar)
-                    filename = os.path.basename(fname)
-                else:
-                    # Otherwise, it must be remote.  Use full path.
-                    filename = fname
+        filename = self._get_file_path(fname, progress_bar)
 
         if time_step_stream is not None:
             if time_step_stream <= 0:
@@ -1227,6 +1196,53 @@ def input(
         # otherwise, read remote file
         return self._download_as_raw(tmp_out).decode("latin-1")
 
+    def _get_file_path(self, fname, progress_bar=False):
+        """Find files in the Python and MAPDL working directories.
+
+        **The priority is for the Python directory.**
+
+        Hence if the same file is in the Python directory and in the MAPDL directory,
+        PyMAPDL will upload a copy from the Python directory to the MAPDL directory,
+        overwriting the MAPDL directory copy.
+        """
+
+        if os.path.isdir(fname):
+            raise ValueError(f"`fname` should be a full file path or name, not the directory '{fname}'.")
+
+        fpath = os.path.dirname(fname)
+        fname = os.path.basename(fname)
+        fext = fname.split('.')[-1]
+        ffullpath = os.path.join(fpath, fname)
+
+        if os.path.exists(ffullpath) and self._local:
+            return ffullpath
+
+        if self._local:
+            if os.path.isfile(fname):
+                # And it exists
+                filename = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), fname)
+            elif fname in self.list_files():
+                # It exists in the Mapdl working directory
+                filename = os.path.join(self.directory, fname)
+            else:
+                # Finally
+                raise FileNotFoundError(f"Unable to locate filename '{fname}'")
+
+        else: # Non-local
+            # upload the file if it exists locally
+            if os.path.isfile(ffullpath):
+                self.upload(ffullpath, progress_bar=progress_bar)
+                filename = fname
+
+            elif fname in self.list_files():
+                # It exists in the Mapdl working directory
+                filename = fname
+
+            else:
+                raise FileNotFoundError(f"Unable to locate filename '{fname}'")
+
+        return filename
+
     def _flush_stored(self):
         """Writes stored commands to an input file and runs the input
         file.  Used with non_interactive.

tests/test_mapdl.py

@@ -995,6 +995,14 @@ def test_inquire(mapdl):
     assert float(mapdl.inquire("", 'exist', jobname, 'lock')) in [0, 1]
 
 
+def test_get_file_path(mapdl, tmpdir):
+    fname = 'dummy.txt'
+    fobject = tmpdir.join(fname)
+    fobject.write("Dummy file for testing")
+
+    assert fname in mapdl._get_file_path(fobject)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("option2,option3,option4", [('expdata.dat', '', ''), ('expdata', '.dat', ''), ('expdata', 'dat', 'DIR')])
 def test_tbft(mapdl, option2, option3, option4):
     try: