os.listdir()
- list in the current directory
With listdir in os module you get the files and the folders in the current dir
import os
arr = os.listdir()
print(arr)
>>> ["$RECYCLE.BIN", "work.txt", "3ebooks.txt", "documents"]
Looking in a directory
arr = os.listdir("c:\files")
glob
from glob
with glob you can specify a type of file to list like this
import glob
txtfiles = []
for file in glob.glob("*.txt"):
txtfiles.append(file)
glob
in a list comprehension
mylist = [f for f in glob.glob("*.txt")]
get the full path of only files in the current directory
import os
from os import listdir
from os.path import isfile, join
cwd = os.getcwd()
onlyfiles = [os.path.join(cwd, f) for f in os.listdir(cwd) if
os.path.isfile(os.path.join(cwd, f))]
print(onlyfiles)
["G:\getfilesname\getfilesname.py", "G:\getfilesname\example.txt"]
Getting the full path name with os.path.abspath
You get the full path in return
import os
files_path = [os.path.abspath(x) for x in os.listdir()]
print(files_path)
["F:\documentiapplications.txt", "F:\documenticollections.txt"]
Walk: going through sub directories
os.walk returns the root, the directories list and the files list, that is why I unpacked them in r, d, f in the for loop; it, then, looks for other files and directories in the subfolders of the root and so on until there are no subfolders.
import os
# Getting the current work directory (cwd)
thisdir = os.getcwd()
# r=root, d=directories, f = files
for r, d, f in os.walk(thisdir):
for file in f:
if file.endswith(".docx"):
print(os.path.join(r, file))
os.listdir()
: get files in the current directory (Python 2)
In Python 2, if you want the list of the files in the current directory, you have to give the argument as "." or os.getcwd() in the os.listdir method.
import os
arr = os.listdir(".")
print(arr)
>>> ["$RECYCLE.BIN", "work.txt", "3ebooks.txt", "documents"]
To go up in the directory tree
# Method 1
x = os.listdir("..")
# Method 2
x= os.listdir("/")
Get files: os.listdir()
in a particular directory (Python 2 and 3)
import os
arr = os.listdir("F:\python")
print(arr)
>>> ["$RECYCLE.BIN", "work.txt", "3ebooks.txt", "documents"]
Get files of a particular subdirectory with os.listdir()
import os
x = os.listdir("./content")
os.walk(".")
- current directory
import os
arr = next(os.walk("."))[2]
print(arr)
>>> ["5bs_Turismo1.pdf", "5bs_Turismo1.pptx", "esperienza.txt"]
next(os.walk("."))
and os.path.join("dir", "file")
import os
arr = []
for d,r,f in next(os.walk("F:\_python")):
for file in f:
arr.append(os.path.join(r,file))
for f in arr:
print(files)
>>> F:\_python\dict_class.py
>>> F:\_python\programmi.txt
next(os.walk("F:\")
- get the full path - list comprehension
[os.path.join(r,file) for r,d,f in next(os.walk("F:\_python")) for file in f]
>>> ["F:\_python\dict_class.py", "F:\_python\programmi.txt"]
os.walk
- get full path - all files in sub dirs**
x = [os.path.join(r,file) for r,d,f in os.walk("F:\_python") for file in f]
print(x)
>>> ["F:\_python\dict.py", "F:\_python\progr.txt", "F:\_python\readl.py"]
os.listdir()
- get only txt files
arr_txt = [x for x in os.listdir() if x.endswith(".txt")]
print(arr_txt)
>>> ["work.txt", "3ebooks.txt"]
Using glob
to get the full path of the files
If I should need the absolute path of the files:
from path import path
from glob import glob
x = [path(f).abspath() for f in glob("F:\*.txt")]
for f in x:
print(f)
>>> F:acquistionline.txt
>>> F:acquisti_2018.txt
>>> F:ootstrap_jquery_ecc.txt
Using os.path.isfile
to avoid directories in the list
import os.path
listOfFiles = [f for f in os.listdir() if os.path.isfile(f)]
print(listOfFiles)
>>> ["a simple game.py", "data.txt", "decorator.py"]
Using pathlib
from Python 3.4
import pathlib
flist = []
for p in pathlib.Path(".").iterdir():
if p.is_file():
print(p)
flist.append(p)
>>> error.PNG
>>> exemaker.bat
>>> guiprova.mp3
>>> setup.py
>>> speak_gui2.py
>>> thumb.PNG
With list comprehension
:
flist = [p for p in pathlib.Path(".").iterdir() if p.is_file()]
Alternatively, use pathlib.Path()
instead of pathlib.Path(".")
Use glob method in pathlib.Path()
import pathlib
py = pathlib.Path().glob("*.py")
for file in py:
print(file)
>>> stack_overflow_list.py
>>> stack_overflow_list_tkinter.py
Get all and only files with os.walk
import os
x = [i[2] for i in os.walk(".")]
y=[]
for t in x:
for f in t:
y.append(f)
print(y)
>>> ["append_to_list.py", "data.txt", "data1.txt", "data2.txt", "data_180617", "os_walk.py", "READ2.py", "read_data.py", "somma_defaltdic.py", "substitute_words.py", "sum_data.py", "data.txt", "data1.txt", "data_180617"]
Get only files with next and walk in a directory
import os
x = next(os.walk("F://python"))[2]
print(x)
>>> ["calculator.bat","calculator.py"]
Get only directories with next and walk in a directory
import os
next(os.walk("F://python"))[1] # for the current dir use (".")
>>> ["python3","others"]
Get all the subdir names with walk
for r,d,f in os.walk("F:\_python"):
for dirs in d:
print(dirs)
>>> .vscode
>>> pyexcel
>>> pyschool.py
>>> subtitles
>>> _metaprogramming
>>> .ipynb_checkpoints
os.scandir()
from Python 3.5 and greater
import os
x = [f.name for f in os.scandir() if f.is_file()]
print(x)
>>> ["calculator.bat","calculator.py"]
# Another example with scandir (a little variation from docs.python.org)
# This one is more efficient than os.listdir.
# In this case, it shows the files only in the current directory
# where the script is executed.
import os
with os.scandir() as i:
for entry in i:
if entry.is_file():
print(entry.name)
>>> ebookmaker.py
>>> error.PNG
>>> exemaker.bat
>>> guiprova.mp3
>>> setup.py
>>> speakgui4.py
>>> speak_gui2.py
>>> speak_gui3.py
>>> thumb.PNG
Examples:
Ex. 1: How many files are there in the subdirectories?
In this example, we look for the number of files that are included in all the directory and its subdirectories.
import os
def count(dir, counter=0):
"returns number of files in dir and subdirs"
for pack in os.walk(dir):
for f in pack[2]:
counter += 1
return dir + " : " + str(counter) + "files"
print(count("F:\python"))
>>> "F:\python" : 12057 files"
Ex.2: How to copy all files from a directory to another?
A script to make order in your computer finding all files of a type (default: pptx) and copying them in a new folder.
import os
import shutil
from path import path
destination = "F:\file_copied"
# os.makedirs(destination)
def copyfile(dir, filetype="pptx", counter=0):
"Searches for pptx (or other - pptx is the default) files and copies them"
for pack in os.walk(dir):
for f in pack[2]:
if f.endswith(filetype):
fullpath = pack[0] + "\" + f
print(fullpath)
shutil.copy(fullpath, destination)
counter += 1
if counter > 0:
print("-" * 30)
print(" ==> Found in: `" + dir + "` : " + str(counter) + " files
")
for dir in os.listdir():
"searches for folders that starts with `_`"
if dir[0] == "_":
# copyfile(dir, filetype="pdf")
copyfile(dir, filetype="txt")
>>> _compiti18Compito Contabilità 1conti.txt
>>> _compiti18Compito Contabilità 1modula4.txt
>>> _compiti18Compito Contabilità 1moduloa4.txt
>>> ------------------------
>>> ==> Found in: `_compiti18` : 3 files
Ex. 3: How to get all the files in a txt file
In case you want to create a txt file with all the file names:
import os
mylist = ""
with open("filelist.txt", "w", encoding="utf-8") as file:
for eachfile in os.listdir():
mylist += eachfile + "
"
file.write(mylist)
Example: txt with all the files of an hard drive
"""
We are going to save a txt file with all the files in your directory.
We will use the function walk()
"""
import os
# see all the methods of os
# print(*dir(os), sep=", ")
listafile = []
percorso = []
with open("lista_file.txt", "w", encoding="utf-8") as testo:
for root, dirs, files in os.walk("D:\"):
for file in files:
listafile.append(file)
percorso.append(root + "\" + file)
testo.write(file + "
")
listafile.sort()
print("N. of files", len(listafile))
with open("lista_file_ordinata.txt", "w", encoding="utf-8") as testo_ordinato:
for file in listafile:
testo_ordinato.write(file + "
")
with open("percorso.txt", "w", encoding="utf-8") as file_percorso:
for file in percorso:
file_percorso.write(file + "
")
os.system("lista_file.txt")
os.system("lista_file_ordinata.txt")
os.system("percorso.txt")
All the file of C: in one text file
This is a shorter version of the previous code. Change the folder where to start finding the files if you need to start from another position. This code generate a 50 mb on text file on my computer with something less then 500.000 lines with files with the complete path.
import os
with open("file.txt", "w", encoding="utf-8") as filewrite:
for r, d, f in os.walk("C:\"):
for file in f:
filewrite.write(f"{r + file}
")
How to write a file with all paths in a folder of a type
With this function you can create a txt file that will have the name of a type of file that you look for (ex. pngfile.txt) with all the full path of all the files of that type. It can be useful sometimes, I think.
import os
def searchfiles(extension=".ttf", folder="H:\"):
"Create a txt file with all the file of a type"
with open(extension[1:] + "file.txt", "w", encoding="utf-8") as filewrite:
for r, d, f in os.walk(folder):
for file in f:
if file.endswith(extension):
filewrite.write(f"{r + file}
")
# looking for png file (fonts) in the hard disk H:
searchfiles(".png", "H:\")
>>> H:4bs_18Dolphins5.png
>>> H:4bs_18Dolphins6.png
>>> H:4bs_18Dolphins7.png
>>> H:5_18marketing htmlassetsimageslogo2.png
>>> H:7z001.png
>>> H:7z002.png
(New) Find all files and open them with tkinter GUI
I just wanted to add in this 2019 a little app to search for all files in a dir and be able to open them by doubleclicking on the name of the file in the list.

import tkinter as tk
import os
def searchfiles(extension=".txt", folder="H:\"):
"insert all files in the listbox"
for r, d, f in os.walk(folder):
for file in f:
if file.endswith(extension):
lb.insert(0, r + "\" + file)
def open_file():
os.startfile(lb.get(lb.curselection()[0]))
root = tk.Tk()
root.geometry("400x400")
bt = tk.Button(root, text="Search", command=lambda:searchfiles(".png", "H:\"))
bt.pack()
lb = tk.Listbox(root)
lb.pack(fill="both", expand=1)
lb.bind("<Double-Button>", lambda x: open_file())
root.mainloop()