Listing out directories and files in Python
Last Updated :
22 Oct, 2017
The following is a list of some of the important methods/functions in Python with descriptions that you should know to understand this article.
- len() – It is used to count number of elements(items/characters) of iterables like list, tuple, string, dictionary etc.
- str() – It is used to transform data value(integers, floats, list) into string.
- abspath() – It returns the absolute path of the file/directory name passed as an argument.
- enumerate() – Returns an enumerate object for the passed iterable that can be used to iterate over the items of iterable with an access to their indexes.
- list() – It is used to create a list by using an existing iterable(list, tuple, dictionary, set).
- listdir() – It is used to list the directory contents. The path of directory is passed as an argument.
- isfile() – It checks whether the passed parameter denotes the path to a file. If yes then returns True otherwise False
- isdir() – It checks whether the passed parameter denotes the path to a directory. If yes then returns True otherwise False
- append() – It is used to append items on list.
Please see the below code executed on interactive Python terminal to have a quick walk through on the usages of above functions/methods.
Path structure on different OS
Windows uses \ (back slash) as a path separator, eg. C:\Users\Desktop\
Linux based system like MAC OS X, Linux uses / (forward slash), eg. /Users/Desktop/
Let’s have a quick overview the working of above methods and functions as we are using this in our final program.
evens = [ 2, 34, 6, 8, 10]
print len(evens)
city = "Bangalore"
print len(city), "\n"
odds = [ 1, 3, 67, 45, 83, 59]
year = 2017
print odds
print str(odds) + " A list.\n"
print year
print str(year) + " A year.\n"
for (index, item) in enumerate(odds):
print index, item
import os
absolute_path = os.path.abspath(".")
print "\n", absolute_path, "\n"
answer = os.path.isdir("/Users/admin/Desktop/js")
print answer
answer = os.path.isfile("/Users/admin/Desktop/js/array.js")
print answer, "\n"
details = { "name":"Rojert Rendrick", "age":24, "city":"Bangalore" }
keys = list( details )
print keys, "\n"
print evens
evens.append(98)
evens.append(64)
print evens, "\n"
print "Python"*3
print "#"*20
|
Output:
5
9
[1, 3, 67, 45, 83, 59]
[1, 3, 67, 45, 83, 59] A list.
2017
2017 A year.
0 1
1 3
2 67
3 45
4 83
5 59
/Users/admin/projects/Python/PythonFiles
True
True
['city', 'age', 'name']
[2, 34, 6, 8, 10]
[2, 34, 6, 8, 10, 98, 64]
PythonPythonPython
####################
There are number of Python files & directories inside /Users/admin/projects/Python/PythonFiles, we will list out all these.
Suppose current working directory is /Users/admin/projects/Python/Django/E-Commerce-projects/ecommerce-2/src, which has some files and folders inside it.
In your case, it will be different. You will only need to pass the exact path of the directory that you want to list out.
The following is the python code to display all the files and directories based on the passed absolute or relative path.
If path is not specified in the calling statement then the contents of current working directory will be displayed.
def show_directories(dir_list, path):
import os
s = "%s%d%s"%("\n", len(dir_list), " directories of " + os.path.abspath(path))
l = len(s)
print s
print "="*l
for index, dir in enumerate(dir_list):
print str(index+1) + ") ", dir
def show_files(file_list, path):
import os
s = "%s%d%s"%("\n", len(file_list), " files of " + os.path.abspath(path))
l = len(s)
print s
print "="*l
for index, file in enumerate(file_list):
print str(index+1) + ") ", file
def show_cwd_contents( path="." ):
import os
f_list = []
d_list = list()
try:
for f in os.listdir(path):
if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(path, f)):
f_list.append(f)
else:
if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(path, f)):
d_list.append(f)
except:
print "\nError, once check the path"
return
show_files(f_list, path)
show_directories(d_list, path)
if __name__ == "__main__":
show_cwd_contents()
show_cwd_contents("/Users/admin/projects/Python/PythonFiles")
|
Output:
5 files of /Users/admin/projects/Python/Django/E-Commerce-projects/ecommerce-2/src
===================================================================================
1) .gitignore
2) db.sqlite3
3) manage.py
4) requirements.txt
5) todo.txt
5 directories of /Users/admin/projects/Python/Django/E-Commerce-projects/ecommerce-2/src
=========================================================================================
1) ecommerce2
2) newsletter
3) products
4) static_in_pro
5) templates
70 files of /Users/admin/projects/Python/PythonFiles
=====================================================
1) 2_list_iterators.py
2) app.py
3) class_script_exec.py
4) class_variables.py
5) date_and_time.py
6) datetime.txt
7) dict.py
8) dictionary.py
9) django_home.html
10) error_handling.py
11) error_handling_output.py
12) error_handling_output.txt
13) execution_pickle.py
14) fb_task.py
15) for.py
16) gfg_sum_of_primes_in_numbers.py
17) hackerrank_numbers.py
18) hck_addition_aint_simple.py
19) hck_biased_chandan.py
20) hck_c_counts.py
21) hck_c_counts2.py
22) hck_c_counts3.py
23) hck_cool_numbers.py
24) hck_earth_fans.py
25) hck_earth_fans_2.py
26) hck_earth_fans_3.py
27) hck_earth_fans_final_on_28_dec_2016.py
28) hck_Little_Jhool_and_psychic_powers.py
29) hck_lonely_monk.py
30) hck_lonely_monk_orig.py
31) hck_maximum_AND.py
32) hck_min_max_problem.py
33) hck_monk_and_power_of_time.py
34) hck_numbers_rotation.py
35) hck_palindomic_numbers.py
36) hck_print_hackerearth.py
37) hck_print_hackerearth_2_way.py
38) hck_range_query.py
39) hck_recursive_functions.py
40) hck_recursive_sums.py
41) hck_strange_addition.py
42) hck_sum_of_numbers.py
43) interactive_img_resolutions.txt
44) json.py
45) json.pyc
46) katyperry.py
47) lambda_expression.py
48) linked_list_delete_nodes_at_front.py
49) linked_list_delete_nodes_at_front_output.txt
50) linked_list_is_palindrome_gfg.py
51) linked_list_is_palindrome_gfg_output.text
52) linked_list_is_palindrome_gfg_testing.py
53) linked_list_node_deletion_from_any_position.txt
54) linked_list_node_deletion_from_end.py
55) linked_list_node_deletion_from_end_output.txt
56) linked_list_node_deletion_from_middle.py
57) linked_list_node_insertion_at_beginning.py
58) linked_list_node_insertion_at_end.py
59) linked_list_node_insertion_at_middel_output.txt
60) linked_list_node_insertion_at_middle.py
61) map.py
62) merge_lists.py
63) mufeez_android_interview.py
64) python_for_loops.py
65) python_for_loops2.py
66) remove_dupliates.py
67) show_dir_and_files.py
68) show_dir_and_files_test.py
69) smarika_urllib_python2.7.10.py
70) while.py
2 directories of /Users/admin/projects/Python/PythonFiles
==========================================================
1) socket_programming
2) wx
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