Path.__call__ is deprecated and will be removed in v5.0.0

CHANGELOG.rst

@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ Changed
 - Non-parsing actions now have a common base class to ease identification
   (`#793 <https://github.com/omni-us/jsonargparse/pull/793>`__).
 
+Deprecated
+^^^^^^^^^^
+- ``Path.__call__`` is deprecated and will be removed in v5.0.0. Use the
+  ``absolute`` or ``relative`` properties instead (`#794
+  <https://github.com/omni-us/jsonargparse/pull/794>`__).
+
 
 v4.42.0 (2025-10-14)
 --------------------

jsonargparse/_deprecated.py

@@ -439,6 +439,11 @@ def path_skip_check_deprecation(stacklevel=2):
     -> ``absolute``, ``cwd`` no name change, ``skip_check`` will be removed.
 """
 
+path_call_message = """
+    Calling Path objects is deprecated and will be removed in v5.0.0. Use the
+    ``absolute`` or ``relative`` properties instead.
+"""
+
 
 class PathDeprecations:
     """Deprecated methods for Path."""
@@ -493,6 +498,10 @@ def skip_check(self, skip_check):
         deprecation_warning("Path attr set", path_immutable_attrs_message)
         self._skip_check = skip_check
 
+    def __call__(self, absolute: bool = True) -> str:
+        deprecation_warning("Path.__call__", path_call_message)
+        return self._absolute if absolute else self._relative
+
 
 class DebugException(Exception):
     pass

jsonargparse/_paths.py

@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class PathError(TypeError):
 
 
 class Path(PathDeprecations):
-    """Stores a (possibly relative) path and the corresponding absolute path.
+    """Base class for Path types. Stores a (possibly relative) path and the corresponding absolute path.
 
     The absolute path can be obtained without having to remember the working
     directory (or parent remote path) from when the object was created.
@@ -283,14 +283,6 @@ def __eq__(self, other: Any) -> bool:
             return str(self) == other
         return False
 
-    def __call__(self, absolute: bool = True) -> str:
-        """Returns the path as a string.
-
-        Args:
-            absolute: If false returns the original path given, otherwise the corresponding absolute path.
-        """
-        return self._absolute if absolute else self._relative
-
     def get_content(self, mode: str = "r") -> str:
         """Returns the contents of the file or the remote path."""
         if self._std_io:

jsonargparse_tests/test_deprecated.py

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 )
 from jsonargparse_tests.test_dataclasses import DataClassA
 from jsonargparse_tests.test_jsonnet import example_2_jsonnet
+from jsonargparse_tests.test_paths import paths  # noqa: F401
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
@@ -457,29 +458,29 @@ def test_ActionPath(tmp_cwd):
     parser.add_argument("--files", nargs="+", action=ActionPath(mode="fr"))
 
     cfg = parser.parse_args(["--cfg", abs_yaml_file])
-    assert str(tmp_cwd) == os.path.realpath(cfg.dir(absolute=True))
-    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.cfg[0](absolute=False))
-    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.cfg[0](absolute=True))
-    assert rel_yaml_file == cfg.file(absolute=False)
-    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.file(absolute=True))
+    assert str(tmp_cwd) == os.path.realpath(cfg.dir.absolute)
+    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.cfg[0].relative)
+    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.cfg[0].absolute)
+    assert rel_yaml_file == cfg.file.relative
+    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.file.absolute)
     pytest.raises(ArgumentError, lambda: parser.parse_args(["--cfg", abs_yaml_file + "~"]))
 
     cfg = parser.parse_args(["--cfg", "file: " + abs_yaml_file + "\ndir: " + str(tmp_cwd) + "\n"])
-    assert str(tmp_cwd) == os.path.realpath(cfg.dir(absolute=True))
+    assert str(tmp_cwd) == os.path.realpath(cfg.dir.absolute)
     assert cfg.cfg[0] is None
-    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.file(absolute=True))
+    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.file.absolute)
     pytest.raises(ArgumentError, lambda: parser.parse_args(["--cfg", '{"k":"v"}']))
 
     cfg = parser.parse_args(["--file", abs_yaml_file, "--dir", str(tmp_cwd)])
-    assert str(tmp_cwd) == os.path.realpath(cfg.dir(absolute=True))
-    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.file(absolute=True))
+    assert str(tmp_cwd) == os.path.realpath(cfg.dir.absolute)
+    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.file.absolute)
     pytest.raises(ArgumentError, lambda: parser.parse_args(["--dir", abs_yaml_file]))
     pytest.raises(ArgumentError, lambda: parser.parse_args(["--file", str(tmp_cwd)]))
 
     cfg = parser.parse_args(["--files", abs_yaml_file, abs_yaml_file])
     assert isinstance(cfg.files, list)
     assert 2 == len(cfg.files)
-    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.files[-1](absolute=True))
+    assert abs_yaml_file == os.path.realpath(cfg.files[-1].absolute)
 
     pytest.raises(TypeError, lambda: parser.add_argument("--op1", action=ActionPath))
     pytest.raises(
@@ -545,6 +546,19 @@ def test_Path_attr_set(tmp_cwd):
         assert "Path objects are not meant to be mutable" in str(w[-1].message)
 
 
+def test_path_call(paths):  # noqa: F811
+    path = Path(paths.file_rw, "frw")
+    with catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        assert path(False) == str(paths.file_rw)
+    assert_deprecation_warn(
+        w,
+        message="Calling Path objects is deprecated",
+        code="assert path(False) == ",
+    )
+    assert path(True) == str(paths.tmp_path / paths.file_rw)
+    assert path() == str(paths.tmp_path / paths.file_rw)
+
+
 def test_ActionPathList(tmp_cwd):
     tmpdir = os.path.join(tmp_cwd, "subdir")
     os.mkdir(tmpdir)

jsonargparse_tests/test_paths.py

@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ def test_path_cwd(paths):
 
 def test_path_empty_mode(paths):
     path = Path("does_not_exist", "")
-    assert path() == str(paths.tmp_path / "does_not_exist")
+    assert path.absolute == str(paths.tmp_path / "does_not_exist")
 
 
 def test_path_pathlike(paths):
@@ -198,9 +198,6 @@ def test_path_invalid_modes(paths):
 
 def test_path_class_hidden_methods(paths):
     path = Path(paths.file_rw, "frw")
-    assert path(False) == str(paths.file_rw)
-    assert path(True) == str(paths.tmp_path / paths.file_rw)
-    assert path() == str(paths.tmp_path / paths.file_rw)
     assert str(path) == str(paths.file_rw)
     assert path.__repr__().startswith("Path_frw(")
 
@@ -212,8 +209,8 @@ def test_path_tilde_home(paths):
         path = Path(os.path.join("~", paths.file_rw), "frw")
         assert str(home) == "~"
         assert str(path) == os.path.join("~", paths.file_rw)
-        assert home() == str(paths.tmp_path)
-        assert path() == os.path.join(paths.tmp_path, paths.file_rw)
+        assert home.absolute == str(paths.tmp_path)
+        assert path.absolute == os.path.join(paths.tmp_path, paths.file_rw)
 
 
 def test_std_input_path():
@@ -396,7 +393,7 @@ def test_path_relative_path_context_url():
     with path1.relative_path_context() as dir:
         assert "http://example.com/nested/path" == dir
         path2 = Path("../file2.txt", mode="u")
-        assert path2() == "http://example.com/nested/file2.txt"
+        assert path2.absolute == "http://example.com/nested/file2.txt"
 
 
 @skip_if_fsspec_unavailable
@@ -421,18 +418,18 @@ def test_relative_path_context_fsspec(tmp_cwd, subtests):
             path1 = Path("../file1.txt", mode="fsr")
             assert "one" == path1.get_content()
             assert str(path1) == "../file1.txt"
-            assert path1() == "memory://one/two/file1.txt"
+            assert path1.absolute == "memory://one/two/file1.txt"
             assert path1._url_data is not None
 
         with subtests.test("nested fsspec dir"):
             with path1.relative_path_context() as dir2:
                 assert "memory://one/two" == dir2
                 path2 = Path("four/five/six/../file2.txt", mode="fsc")
-                assert path2() == "memory://one/two/four/five/file2.txt"
+                assert path2.absolute == "memory://one/two/four/five/file2.txt"
 
         with subtests.test("non-fsspec path"):
             path3 = Path("file3.txt", mode="fc")
-            assert path3() == str(tmp_cwd / "file3.txt")
+            assert path3.absolute == str(tmp_cwd / "file3.txt")
 
     with subtests.test("current path dir unset"):
         assert _current_path_dir.get() is None
@@ -444,13 +441,13 @@ def test_relative_path_context_fsspec(tmp_cwd, subtests):
 def test_path_fr(file_r):
     path = Path_fr(file_r)
     assert path == file_r
-    assert path() == os.path.realpath(file_r)
+    assert path.absolute == os.path.realpath(file_r)
     pytest.raises(TypeError, lambda: Path_fr("does_not_exist"))
 
 
 def test_path_fc_with_kwargs(tmpdir):
     path = Path_fc("some-file.txt", cwd=tmpdir)
-    assert path() == os.path.join(tmpdir, "some-file.txt")
+    assert path.absolute == os.path.join(tmpdir, "some-file.txt")
 
 
 def test_path_fr_already_registered():