Arduino IDE: How to Find Library File Location (Using the exact Location in 7 Steps)

Step 1: Opening the Arduino IDE

1. Launch the Arduino IDE on your computer.

Step 2: Navigating to the "Sketch" Menu

1. Click on the "Sketch" menu located in the top menu bar.

Step 3: Selecting "Include Library"

1. Hover over the "Include Library" option and select "Manage Libraries..." from the submenu.

Step 4: Accessing the Library Manager

1. The Library Manager window will appear, displaying a list of all the installed libraries.

Step 5: Finding the Library File Location

1. Locate the library you want to find the file location for.
2. Hover over the library name and click on the "Show Package Contents" button.

Step 6: Navigating to the Library Folder

1. A new window will open, showing the contents of the library's package.
2. The library files are typically located in a folder named "src".

Step 7: Identifying the Source Files (.h and .cpp)

1. Inside the "src" folder, you will find the source files for the library, which have the extensions ".h" (header file) and ".cpp" (implementation file).

Additional Tips

• If the "Show Package Contents" button is not available, it means that the library is not installed locally. In this case, you can click on the "Install" button to install the library.
• You can also access the library file location from the command line using the following command:

arduino-cli lib show 

FAQs

Q1: Why do I need to know the library file location?

A: Knowing the library file location can be useful for troubleshooting errors, viewing the source code, or making customizations to the library.

Q2: Can I modify the library files?

A: Yes, but it is generally not recommended to modify the original library files. Instead, you can create a copy of the library and modify the copied files.

Q3: Where are the installed libraries stored?

A: On Windows, the installed libraries are typically stored in the following directory:

C:\Users\\Documents\Arduino\libraries

On macOS, they are stored in:

/Users//Documents/Arduino/libraries

Q4: How can I find the location of a specific library function?

A: You can use the Arduino IDE's "Find" function (Ctrl+F on Windows/Cmd+F on macOS) to search for a specific function name within the library files.

Related Articles

• How to Install Arduino Libraries
• Arduino Library Reference

We hope this article has helped you learn how to find the library file location in the Arduino IDE. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.