ignore NotADirectoryError on missing_ok = True

Semantically equivalent to FileNotFoundError - the file to be unlinked does not exist

Author: MusicalNinjaDad

Doc/library/pathlib.rst

@@ -1627,10 +1627,15 @@ example because the path doesn't exist).
    If *missing_ok* is false (the default), this method propagates any
    :exc:`OSError` from the operating system, including :exc:`FileNotFoundError`.
 
-   If *missing_ok* is true, :exc:`FileNotFoundError` exceptions will be
-   ignored (same behavior as the POSIX ``rm -f`` command), any other
+   If *missing_ok* is true, this shows similar behavior to the POSIX ``rm -f``
+   command and any :exc:`FileNotFoundError` or :exc:`NotADirectoryError`
+   exceptions will be ignored. This means that the file does not exist after
+   execution, but cannot guarantee that the file did exist before. Any other
    :exc:`OSError` which is encountered will continue to be propogated.
 
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.??
+      The *missing_ok* parameter will also ignore :exc:`NotADirectoryError`
+
    .. versionchanged:: 3.8
       The *missing_ok* parameter was added.
 

Lib/pathlib/_local.py

@@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ def unlink(self, missing_ok=False):
         """
         try:
             os.unlink(self)
-        except FileNotFoundError:
+        except (FileNotFoundError, NotADirectoryError):
             if not missing_ok:
                 raise
 

Lib/test/test_pathlib/test_pathlib.py

@@ -775,6 +775,13 @@ def test_unlink_missing_ok(self):
         self.assertFileNotFound(p.unlink)
         p.unlink(missing_ok=True)
 
+    def test_unlink_missing_ok_intermediate_file(self):
+        p = self.cls(self.base) / 'fileAAA'
+        p.touch()
+        p = p / 'fileBBB'
+        self.assertNotADirectory(p.unlink)
+        p.unlink(missing_ok=True)
+
     def test_rmdir(self):
         p = self.cls(self.base) / 'dirA'
         for q in p.iterdir():

Lib/test/test_pathlib/test_pathlib_abc.py

@@ -1591,6 +1591,11 @@ def assertFileNotFound(self, func, *args, **kwargs):
             func(*args, **kwargs)
         self.assertEqual(cm.exception.errno, errno.ENOENT)
 
+    def assertNotADirectory(self, func, *args, **kwargs):
+        with self.assertRaises(NotADirectoryError) as cm:
+            func(*args, **kwargs)
+        self.assertEqual(cm.exception.errno, errno.ENOTDIR)
+
     def assertEqualNormCase(self, path_a, path_b):
         normcase = self.parser.normcase
         self.assertEqual(normcase(path_a), normcase(path_b))

Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2024-07-04-11-55-15.gh-issue-119993._IXsOb.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+:meth:`pathlib.Path.unlink` will also ignore any :exc:`NotADirectoryError`
+if *missing_ok* is true.