110. Python's shutil Module

The shutil module in Python provides a high-level interface for file operations such as copying, moving, and archiving files and directories. Here are 10 Python code snippets to demonstrate various file operations using shutil:

1. Copying Files

You can use shutil.copy() to copy a file from one location to another.

import shutil

# Copy a file from 'source.txt' to 'destination.txt'
shutil.copy('source.txt', 'destination.txt')
print("File copied successfully.")

Explanation:

• shutil.copy() copies the contents and permissions of the source file to the destination.

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2. Copying Files with Metadata

To copy both the file content and metadata (such as permissions, times), use shutil.copy2().

import shutil

# Copy a file with metadata from 'source.txt' to 'destination.txt'
shutil.copy2('source.txt', 'destination.txt')
print("File copied with metadata.")

Explanation:

• shutil.copy2() copies both the contents and the metadata of the source file.

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3. Copying a Directory

You can copy an entire directory and its contents with shutil.copytree().

import shutil

# Copy the contents of 'source_directory' to 'destination_directory'
shutil.copytree('source_directory', 'destination_directory')
print("Directory copied successfully.")

Explanation:

• shutil.copytree() recursively copies all files and subdirectories from the source to the destination.

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4. Moving Files or Directories

To move a file or directory from one location to another, use shutil.move().

import shutil

# Move a file from 'source.txt' to 'destination.txt'
shutil.move('source.txt', 'destination.txt')
print("File moved successfully.")

Explanation:

• shutil.move() moves a file or directory to a new location.

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5. Renaming Files or Directories

Renaming a file or directory can be done using shutil.move(), which can also handle renaming.

import shutil

# Rename a file from 'old_name.txt' to 'new_name.txt'
shutil.move('old_name.txt', 'new_name.txt')
print("File renamed successfully.")

Explanation:

• shutil.move() can also rename files by moving them within the same directory.

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6. Deleting a Directory Tree

You can delete an entire directory tree using shutil.rmtree().

import shutil

# Delete the directory 'target_directory' and all its contents
shutil.rmtree('target_directory')
print("Directory tree deleted.")

Explanation:

• shutil.rmtree() removes a directory and all its contents (files and subdirectories).

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7. Creating an Archive (ZIP or TAR)

To create a compressed archive of a file or directory, use shutil.make_archive().

import shutil

# Create a zip archive of the 'source_directory'
shutil.make_archive('archive_name', 'zip', 'source_directory')
print("Archive created successfully.")

Explanation:

• shutil.make_archive() creates a compressed archive (in this case, a .zip file) of a directory or file.

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8. Extracting an Archive (ZIP or TAR)

You can extract the contents of an archive file using shutil.unpack_archive().

import shutil

# Extract the contents of 'archive_name.zip' to 'destination_directory'
shutil.unpack_archive('archive_name.zip', 'destination_directory')
print("Archive extracted successfully.")

Explanation:

• shutil.unpack_archive() extracts an archive file (zip, tar, etc.) to the specified destination directory.

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9. Disk Usage Information

To get disk usage statistics, such as total, used, and free space, use shutil.disk_usage().

import shutil

# Get disk usage information for the current directory
total, used, free = shutil.disk_usage('/')

print(f"Total: {total / (2**30):.2f} GB")
print(f"Used: {used / (2**30):.2f} GB")
print(f"Free: {free / (2**30):.2f} GB")

Explanation:

• shutil.disk_usage() returns the total, used, and free disk space of the specified path.

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10. File Permissions

You can change the permissions of a file or directory using shutil.chmod().

import shutil
import stat

# Change the permissions of 'example.txt' to read-write for owner, read-only for others
shutil.chmod('example.txt', stat.S_IRUSR | stat.S_IWUSR | stat.S_IRGRP | stat.S_IROTH)
print("File permissions changed.")

Explanation:

• shutil.chmod() changes the file permissions.

• The permissions are set using constants from the stat module.

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Key Takeaways:

• shutil.copy(): Copies a file, excluding metadata.

• shutil.copy2(): Copies a file, including metadata.

• shutil.copytree(): Copies an entire directory tree.

• shutil.move(): Moves or renames files or directories.

• shutil.rmtree(): Removes a directory tree.

• shutil.make_archive(): Creates compressed archives like ZIP or TAR.

• shutil.unpack_archive(): Extracts archives.

• shutil.disk_usage(): Provides disk usage statistics.

• shutil.chmod(): Changes file permissions.

These file operations are powerful tools in Python for managing files and directories, whether you're copying, moving, or compressing them.