Organizing Files & Folders Using Python Part-2

📂 Organizing Files & Folders Using Python (Shutil & OS) — Part 2

Now that you can navigate paths (Part 1), let's master manipulation: copying backups, moving files to organized folders, renaming, and deleting cleanup data.

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📌 Table of Contents (jump links)

• 📑 Copying Files & Directories
• 🚚 Moving Files & Folders
• 🏷️ Renaming Files & Folders
• 🗑️ Deleting Files & Folders (Safe & Unsafe)

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📑 Copying Files & Directories

Use shutil (Shell Utilities) to duplicate data.

• shutil.copy2(src, dst): Copies file data + metadata (timestamps). Best for backups.
• shutil.copytree(src, dst): Recursively copies entire folders.

✅ Copying a single file

Scenario: You want to backup report.txt into a backup folder.

import shutil
import os

src = "project/data/report.txt"
dst = "project/backup/report.txt"

# 1. Create destination folder first
os.makedirs("project/backup", exist_ok=True)

# 2. Copy the file (preserves metadata)
shutil.copy2(src, dst)
print("✅ Copied successfully.")

Resulting Structure:

📁 project/
 ├── 📁 data/
 │    └── 📄 report.txt  (Original stays here)
 └── 📁 backup/
      └── 📄 report.txt  (New copy created)

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🚚 Moving Files & Folders

Moving is used for sorting files. shutil.move handles moving between different folders (and even drives).

➡️ Moving a file into a specific folder

import shutil

src = "project/downloads/image.png"
dst = "project/images/image.png"

shutil.move(src, dst)
print(f"🚚 Moved {src} to {dst}")

Resulting Structure:

📁 project/
 ├── 📁 downloads/
 │    └── (empty)        (File is removed from source)
 └── 📁 images/
      └── 🖼️ image.png   (File appears here)

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🏷️ Renaming Files & Folders

Renaming is handled by os.rename (or Path.rename). It effectively "moves" a file to the same folder but with a new name.

✏️ Renaming a file

import os

old_name = "project/data/draft.txt"
new_name = "project/data/final_v1.txt"

os.rename(old_name, new_name)
print("🏷️ Renamed file.")

Resulting Structure:

📁 project/
 └── 📁 data/
      ├── ❌ draft.txt      (Gone)
      └── 📄 final_v1.txt   (New Name)

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🗑️ Deleting Files & Folders

⚠️ WARNING: Python deletions are permanent. There is no "Undo" or "Recycle Bin."

❌ Deleting a Single File (os.remove)

import os

file_path = "project/temp/junk_data.csv"

if os.path.exists(file_path):
    os.remove(file_path)
    print("🗑️ File deleted.")

Resulting Structure:

📁 project/
 └── 📁 temp/
      └── (empty)

🔥 Deleting a Folder & All Contents (shutil.rmtree)

To delete a folder that contains files, os.rmdir will fail. You must use shutil.rmtree.

import shutil

folder_to_nuke = "project/temp_cache"

# Deletes the folder and everything inside it
shutil.rmtree(folder_to_nuke)
print("🔥 Entire directory deleted.")

Resulting Structure:

📁 project/
 ├── 📁 data/        (Safe)
 └── ❌ temp_cache/  (Completely Removed)