title: File Management in Python
body: <p>I am somewhat new to Python, having made several scripts, but not too many serious programs.  I am trying to understand where to put the functions/scripts (as well as any modules I create in the future) I have written so that they can be accessed by other programs.  I've found two different Python help pages on the topic (<a href="http://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/modules.html#the-module-search-path" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a> and <a href="http://docs.python.org/2/using/windows.html#finding-modules" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>), which ultimately seem to indicate that files need to be either in the folder (or maybe some sub-folder, I couldn't quite understand the jargon) containing Python executable or in the the current directory.  From what I could tell, the default current directory is set with the <a href="http://docs.python.org/2/using/cmdline.html#envvar-PYTHONPATH" rel="nofollow noreferrer">PYTHONPATH</a> environment variable.  However, after setting PYTHONPATH as shown in the screenshot below . . .</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/JpnW2.jpg" alt="Setting PYTHONPATH System Variable"></p>
  
  <p>I opened up a new Python shell and checked to see what the current directory was.  Below is the output that was produced.</p>
  
  <pre><code>&gt;&gt;&gt; import os
  &gt;&gt;&gt; os.getcwd()
  'C:\\Program Files\\Python33'
  &gt;&gt;&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Could someone please explain what I am doing wrong and how I can make it (if such a thing is possible) so that I have access to any given script I have written which I have placed in some particular folder which I choose to designate my primary working directory (or some sub-folder of such directory)?  I do not want to be working from the <code>C:/Program Files/Python33</code> directory.</p>
  
  <p>If there is any more information needed, I would be happy to provide it.  Just let me know.</p>