Python copy and rename file

Python Copy and Rename File: A Complete Guide to File Handling with shutil and os Modules

Learn how to copy, rename, move, and delete files in Python using shutil and os modules. Follow our step-by-step guide with code examples and best practices. Master file handling in Python today!

Python is a popular programming language that comes with a variety of modules that make it easy to handle files. The shutil and os modules are two of the most commonly used modules when it comes to file handling in python . In this article, we will provide a complete guide on how to copy and rename files in python using the shutil module functions.

Overview of Python file handling

Before we dive into the specifics of the shutil module, let’s first discuss the importance of file handling in Python. File handling is an essential part of any programming language as it allows you to interact with files stored on your computer. Python provides several modules for file handling, including shutil, os, and pathlib.

The shutil module is a high- level file operations module that provides several functions for copying, moving, and deleting files. The os module, on the other hand, provides low-level file operations functions that allow you to interact with the operating system. The pathlib module is a newer module in Python that provides a more object-oriented approach to file handling.

Copying files in Python using shutil module

The shutil module provides several functions for copying files in Python. The shutil.copy() function is the most commonly used function for copying files.

import shutilshutil.copy('source_file.txt', 'destination_folder') 

The above code will copy the source_file.txt to the destination_folder . You can also use the shutil.copy2() function to copy files along with their metadata.

import shutilshutil.copy2('source_file.txt', 'destination_folder') 

In addition to copying a single file, you can also copy multiple files using the shutil.copytree() function.

import shutilshutil.copytree('source_folder', 'destination_folder') 

The above code will copy the entire source_folder to the destination_folder .

Renaming files in Python using shutil and os modules

renaming files in python is a straightforward process using the os and shutil modules . The os.rename() function is used to rename a single file, while the shutil.move() function is used to move a file to a new location and rename it.

import osos.rename('old_file_name.txt', 'new_file_name.txt') 

The above code will rename the old_file_name.txt to new_file_name.txt .

import shutilshutil.move('old_file_name.txt', 'new_folder/new_file_name.txt') 

The above code will move the old_file_name.txt to the new_folder directory and rename it to new_file_name.txt .

Moving and deleting files in Python using shutil and os modules

In addition to copying and renaming files, the shutil and os modules also provide functions for moving and deleting files. The shutil.move() function is used to move files, while the shutil.rmtree() function is used to delete a directory tree.

import shutilshutil.move('source_file.txt', 'destination_folder') 

The above code will move the source_file.txt to the destination_folder .

import shutilshutil.rmtree('directory_name') 

The above code will delete the directory_name directory along with all its contents.

Organizing files in a directory using Python

Python provides several functions that allow you to organize files in a directory. The os.listdir() function is used to list all files in a directory, while the os.path.splitext() function is used to split the file name and extension.

import osfor file_name in os.listdir('directory_name'): if os.path.splitext(file_name)[1] == '.txt': print(file_name) 

The above code will list all .txt files in the directory_name directory.

In addition to listing files, you can also create subdirectories and move files to specific directories based on their properties.

import os import shutilfor file_name in os.listdir('directory_name'): if os.path.splitext(file_name)[1] == '.txt': new_folder = os.path.splitext(file_name)[0] os.mkdir(new_folder) shutil.move(file_name, new_folder) 

The above code will create a new directory for each .txt file in the directory_name directory and move the file to that directory.

Error handling and best practices for file handling in Python

Error handling is an essential part of any programming language, and Python is no exception. When it comes to file handling, there are several types of errors that can occur, such as file not found errors or permission errors. To handle these errors, you can use try-except blocks.

import ostry: os.remove('file_name') except FileNotFoundError: print('File not found') except PermissionError: print('Permission denied') 

In addition to error handling, there are several best practices you should follow when it comes to file handling in Python. One of the best practices is to use context managers when opening files.

with open('file_name', 'r') as file: file_contents = file.read() 

Using context managers ensures that the file is properly closed after it has been used.

Other simple code examples for Python copying and renaming files

In Python case in point, python rename file code example

import os os.rename('guru99.txt','career.guru99.txt') 

In Python , for instance, python copy file and rename code example

import shutil src="https://code911.top/howto/src_dir/source.ext" dst="dst_dir\destination.ext" shutil.copy(src,dst)

import os path_to_file = 'C:/Users/Red/test.txt' # For example the file is here new_name = 'cool.txt' # Example name os.rename(path_to_file, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(path_to_file), new_name)) # It will be renamed to cool.txt aka 'C:/Users/Red/cool.txt'

In Python , python rename file code sample

import osold_file_name = "/home/career_karma/raw_data.csv" new_file_name = "/home/career_karma/old_data.csv"os.rename(old_file_name, new_file_name)print("File renamed!")

In Python , for instance, how to rename files python code example

import os os.rename(r'C:\Users\Ron\Desktop\Test\Products.txt',r'C:\Users\Ron\Desktop\Test\Shipped Products.txt') 

Conclusion

In this article, we have provided a complete guide on how to copy and rename files in Python using the shutil module functions. We have also discussed other file handling operations such as moving and deleting files, organizing files in a directory, error handling, and best practices. We hope that this article has been helpful in teaching you how to handle files in python .

If you are interested in learning more about file handling in Python, we recommend checking out the Python documentation or a cheatsheet for the shutil module functions.

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Copy and Rename Files in Python

Copying and renaming files in Python can be done using the shutil library. There are two functions that we will particularly use: shutil.copy2(src, dest) and shutil.copytree().

The former copies files from the src directory to dest preserving file metadata. On the other hand, shutil.copytree(src, dest) recursively copy an entire directory tree rooted at src to a directory named dest. All intermediate directories needed to contain dest will also be created by default.

Let’s work on examples of copying and renaming files in Python to understand the concepts and tools that can be used. Once you cover all six examples, you should be able to copy and rename files in any way you need.

Example 1: Copying a file from one folder to another

That copies the examiner2.pdf file into the Desktop

Example 2: Copy and rename the file

The snippet above copies the file from the Downloads folder to the Desktop and renames it. Unlike shutil.copy2(), shutil.copy() does not preserve the source file metadata.

Example 3: Rename a file using shutil and os

The first line renames the file in place, but the second line renames the file and moves it to another location, the Desktop folder. The shutil.move(src, dest) can be used for the same purpose.

Example 4: Copy and rename files in a folder

In this case, we want to copy the files from the source folder to the destination and rename each.

This method works when there’s no subdirectory inside the source folder. The comments in the code explain what each line does.

import os import shutil # Source directories - relative or absolute paths. source = "./src/" destination = "./dest/" # A list of all files in the source directory files_in_src = os.listdir(source) # Iterate over all files on the source and copy them to the destination. for file in files_in_src: # for example, file = exclude.txt # os.path.join joins the source directory to the file to get a valid source path #, e.g./home/kiprono/Desktop/src/exclude.txt src_file = os.path.join(source, file) # splitext() splits the basename and extension from the filename #, eg exclude.txt becomes (exclude, .txt) filename, extension = os.path.splitext(file) # Create a new filename with the string "_copy" added to it new_file = f"_copy" # Join the destination folder with the new filename dest_file = os.path.join(destination, new_file) # If the destination file already exists, skip it if os.path.exists(dest_file): continue # Copy the source file to the destination folder with the new filename shutil.copy(src_file, dest_file)

Output (formatted for better viewing):

Figure : (Left) the source folder, (right) the destination folder. Note that the files at the destination have been renamed accordingly, and there’s no subdirectory inside the source.

Example 5: Copy the source folder recursively

If you want to simply copy the contents of the source folder, including its subdirectories, without renaming it, shutil.copytree(src, dest, ignore=None, copy_function=copy2, dirs_exist_ok=False, …) should do the job.

If dirs_exist_ok is false (the default) shouldn’t exist; otherwise, an error will be raised. This option ensures that files and folders in the destination are not overwritten.

If dirs_exist_ok is true, the copying operation will continue if it encounters existing directories, and files within the dest tree will be overwritten by corresponding files from the src tree.

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