CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythonpython-2.7
user197240
user197240

Reputation: 309

python moving multiple files from one folder to the other based on text characters in file name

I'm quite new to Python. I've been exploring the shutil module and can move things in general. My question revolves around:

Imagine a scenario in which you have hundreds of files in an export folder. While all the files are distinct, 13 of each are for a specific vendor. I would like to create a script that goes through the export folder, evaluates each file name, grabs all the Apple files and puts them in the Apple Folder, Intel files and puts them in the Intel Folder, etc. Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I was trying to have wildcards in the shutil copy, but did not have any luck.

Thanks,

JT

Upvotes: 18

Views: 68835

Answers (6)

ray1195
ray1195

Reputation: 116

The code below is working for me - 

import os
import shutil


ent_dir_path = input("Enter the path of the directory:") #source directory


out_dir_path = input("Enter the path of the directory where you want to move all these files:")  #destination directory

if not os.path.exists(out_dir_path):  #create folder if doesn't exist
    os.makedirs(out_dir_path)


file_type = input("Enter the first few characters of type of file you want to move:") 

entries = os.listdir(ent_dir_path)

for entry in entries:
     if entry.startswith(file_type):
         #print(ent_dir_path + entry)
         shutil.move(ent_dir_path + entry, out_dir_path)

# ent_dir_path + entry is the path of the file you want to move 
# example-   entry = Apple.txt  
#            ent_dir_path = /home/user/Downloads/
#            ent_dir_path + entry = /home/user/Downloads/Apple.txt  (path of the 
#            file)

Upvotes: 1

Andreas Myriounis
Andreas Myriounis

Reputation: 564

Easiest solution I could think of:

import shutil
import os

source = '/path/to/source_folder'
dest1 = '/path/to/apple_folder'
dest2 = '/path/to/intel_folder'

files = os.listdir(source)

for f in files:
    if (f.startswith("Apple") or f.startswith("apple")):
        shutil.move(f, dest1)
    elif (f.startswith("Intel") or f.startswith("intel")):
        shutil.move(f, dest2)

The destination folders do need to exist.

Upvotes: 24

grambo
grambo

Reputation: 293

Minor edit on Padaic's answer:

import glob
import shutil

vendors = ("*Apple*.*", "*Intel*.*")
paths = (".\\Apple\\", ".\\Intel\\")
for idx in range(len(vendors)):
    for matches in glob.glob(vendors[idx]):
        shutil.move(matches, paths[idx])

Upvotes: 1

user6930845
user6930845

Reputation:

Andreas's answer is fine for the Apples example you've given. If you're looking for something more meaty, check out regexs. They let you search for repeating patterns of text.

Where I work, for example, we have different formats of text depending on whether the file is a report, or a technical drawing etc. They all follow a format similar to "company initials/project number/department.

As a regex, you could search something like:

import re

fileregex = re.compile(r'(\w\w)/(\d{4})/(\w\w))
for file in os.listdir(*path*):
    filename = fileregex.search(file)

It's a handy tool to know.

Upvotes: 0

Padraic Cunningham
Padraic Cunningham

Reputation: 180522

import glob, shutil

for file in glob.glob('path_to_dir/apple*'):
    shutil.move(file, new_dst)


# a list of file types
vendors =['path_to_dir/apple*', 'path_to_dir/intel*'] 

for file in vendors:
     for f in (glob.glob(file)): 
         if "apple" in f: # if apple in name, move to new apple dir
             shutil.move(f, new_apple_dir)
         else:
             shutil.move(f, new_intel_dir) # else move to intel dir

Upvotes: 3

user1893148
user1893148

Reputation: 2190

Assuming there are specific strings in the file names that identify which vendor the report relates to, you could create a dictionary that maps those identifying-strings to the appropriate vendor. For example:

import shutil
import os

path = '/path/to/location'

vendorMap = {'apple': 'Apple', 
             'intel': 'Intel', 
             'stringID3': 'vendor3'}

files = os.listdir(path)

for f in files:
    for key, value in vendorMap.iteritems():
        if key in f.lower():
            shutil.copy(f, path + '/' + value)
        else:
            print 'Error identifying vendor for', f

This will create a folder in the current directory, named for the appropriate vendor, and copy that vendor's reports there. Note that this example uses the s.lower() method so that it won't matter whether the vendor name is capitalized.

Upvotes: 2

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