I want to modify my python code to append new required users to my .htaccess file So my logic is: if the file already exists: append the new user to the file and add a password for the user else: open a new file write the contents of the .htaccess file close file return user -- This is what my code looks like -- def createUser(username, basedir): import os dirpath = "/var/www/html/da/" + basedir + "/.htaccess" dirpwd = "/var/www/html/da/" + basedir + "/.htpasswd" if os.path.isfile("dirpath"): dirpath.append('Require user ' + username + '\n') createpwd(username, basedir) else: filename=open(dirpath, 'w') filename.write('AuthType Basic\n') filename.write('AuthName "Password Required"\n') filename.write('AuthUserFile ' + dirpwd + '\n') filename.write('Require user ' + username + '\n') filename.close() return username def createpwd(username,basedir): import os import string length = 8 pathname = "/var/www/html/da/" + basedir + "/.htpasswd" ## passwdgen calls a password generator pwdName= passwdgen(length) if os.path.isfile(pathname): os.system("usr/bin/htpasswd -b " + pathname + " %s %s" %(username, pwdName)) else: os.system("/usr/bin/htpasswd -bc " + pathname + " %s %s" %(username, pwdName)) return pwdName Thanks, Laura