Python timing

Would anyone know how to write a program in python that takes a directory (source) and backs up that directory into another directory (target directory)? I've been trying to work on it, but I have had no luck...any help?

Python library modules 'os', 'os.path', and 'shutil' can be used to accomplish this task. This will get you on the way:

Python library modules 'os', 'os.path', and 'shutil' can be used to accomplish this task. This will get you on the way:

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1. import os, shutil
2.  
3. def dir_list(dir_name):
4.     fileList = []
5.     for file in os.listdir(dir_name):
6.         dirfile = os.path.join(dir_name, file)
7.         if os.path.isfile(dirfile):
8.             fileList.append(dirfile)
9.     return fileList
10.  
11. if __name__ == '__main__':
12.     dirNameS = (os.path.join('C:\\', 'SDS2_7.0', 'macro'))
13.     dirNameT = (os.path.join('C:\\', 'target_directory'))
14.     fileList = dir_list(dirNameS)
15.     for f in fileList:
16.         print f, os.path.getsize(f), os.path.getmtime(f)
17.  
18.         # Untested
19.         # You could test whether the file to be copied has a different size or a later date
20.         # copy the file f to file or directory 'dirNameT'
21.         # shutil.copy(f, dirNameT) 
22.  

Thank you, but I'm new to python so where in this do i put the directory thats to be copied and where do i put the directory where its copied to?

Thank you, but I'm new to python so where in this do i put the directory thats to be copied and where do i put the directory where its copied to?

Instead of the line: use something like this: In the sample code, dirNameS is the source directory and dirNameT is the target directory.

Instead of the line:

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1. print f, os.path.getsize(f), os.path.getmtime(f)

use something like this:

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1. shutil.copy(f, dirNameT)

In the sample code, dirNameS is the source directory and dirNameT is the target directory.

ok so this is what I have:

ok so this is what I have:


import os, shutil

def dir_list(dir_name):
fileList = []
for file in os.listdir(dir_name):
dirfile = os.path.join(dir_name, file)
if os.path.isfile(dirfile):
fileList.append(dirfile)
return fileList

if __name__ == '__main__':
dirNameS = (os.path.join('C:\\drivers\\audio'))
dirNameT = (os.path.join('C:\\Drivers'))
fileList = dir_list(dirNameS)
for f in fileList:
shutil.copy(f, dirNameT)

sweet NVM I figured it out, I wasn't writing each specific folder after a comma, Thank you so much

ok so this is what I have:


import os, shutil

def dir_list(dir_name):
fileList = []
for file in os.listdir(dir_name):
dirfile = os.path.join(dir_name, file)
if os.path.isfile(dirfile):
fileList.append(dirfile)
return fileList

if __name__ == '__main__':
dirNameS = (os.path.join('C:\\drivers\\audio'))
dirNameT = (os.path.join('C:\\Drivers'))
fileList = dir_list(dirNameS)
for f in fileList:
shutil.copy(f, dirNameT)

Indentation is an important part of Python. Without code tags the program structure is confuscated. See 'REPLY GUIDELINES' on this page.

You will not need 'os.path.join()' if you supply the full path for dirNameS and dirNameT. For a backup program, you should test for the existance of the file on the target and provide the user a means to decide whether or not to overwrite it. The code should work for a simple copy utility.

Barton is right. If you are new to Python and learning to program, start simple and build on what you have learned a little at a time.

Indentation is an important part of Python. Without code tags the program structure is confuscated. See 'REPLY GUIDELINES' on this page.

You will not need 'os.path.join()' if you supply the full path for dirNameS and dirNameT. For a backup program, you should test for the existance of the file on the target and provide the user a means to decide whether or not to overwrite it. The code should work for a simple copy utility.

Barton is right. If you are new to Python and learning to program, start simple and build on what you have learned a little at a time.

This is kind of python related, but would you know how I can find the directory name of a USB port such as when I hook up my digital camera it doesn't come out as I: drive as it does for flash drives and so on, how could I find the path name of the usb port, I am trying to create a back up of all the picture son my digital camera using this python backup program.

I am at the end of the program....What do I type into the program to have it run every 5 seconds?

This is kind of python related, but would you know how I can find the directory name of a USB port such as when I hook up my digital camera it doesn't come out as I: drive as it does for flash drives and so on, how could I find the path name of the usb port, I am trying to create a back up of all the picture son my digital camera using this python backup program.

I do not know how to do that directly from the camera. Many card readers show up as drives, so it would be straightforward accessing the card that way. Maybe one of our experts can help. You might post this question to the Techie Talk forum.

I do not know how to do that directly from the camera. Many card readers show up as drives, so it would be straightforward accessing the card that way. Maybe one of our experts can help. You might post this question to the Techie Talk forum.

Yea I figured it out, you can't do the camera, it just won't show up as a mass storage device so I just plug the memory card in, but would you by any chance know how to make the program run every 5 seconds? Thats all I need and the program will be finished.

I am at the end of the program....What do I type into the program to have it run every 5 seconds?

Please read "Posting Guidelines" to learn what CODE tags look like. Post your program (try to use CODE tags). I'll show you how to run your program ever 5 seconds.

Please read "Posting Guidelines" to learn what CODE tags look like. Post your program (try to use CODE tags). I'll show you how to run your program ever 5 seconds.

thank you, yea I have no clue on how to do the code thing I keep on trying but I'll try again now, ok so here it is with help from the other thread this is the code.

thank you, yea I have no clue on how to do the code thing I keep on trying but I'll try again now, ok so here it is with help from the other thread this is the code.

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1. import os, shutil
2. def dir_list(dir_name):
3.     fileList = []
4.     for file in os.listdir(dir_name):
5.         dirfile = os.path.join(dir_name, file)
6.         if os.path.isfile(dirfile):
7.             fileList.append(dirfile)
8.     return fileList
9.  
10. if __name__ == '__main__':
11.     dirNameS = (os.path.join('E:\\', 'DCIM', '140canon'))
12.     dirNameT = (os.path.join('C:\\', 'Camera'))
13.     fileList = dir_list(dirNameS)
14.     for f in fileList:
15.        shutil.copy(f, dirNameT)
16.  

Well, you did it! Great job!
This will run for 30 seconds total trying to copy files every 5 seconds. I expect that you may get a file error before the 30 seconds are up (especially if you unplug your memory stick). There are ways to make python ignore errors, but this is very advanced programming.

Well, you did it! Great job!

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1. import os, shutil
2. from time import time
3.  
4. def dir_list(dir_name):
5.     fileList = []
6.     for file in os.listdir(dir_name):
7.         dirfile = os.path.join(dir_name, file)
8.         if os.path.isfile(dirfile):
9.             fileList.append(dirfile)
10.     return fileList
11.  
12. if __name__ == '__main__':
13.     def CopyFiles():
14.         dirNameS = (os.path.join('E:\\', 'DCIM', '140canon'))
15.         dirNameT = (os.path.join('C:\\', 'Camera'))
16.         fileList = dir_list(dirNameS)
17.         for f in fileList:
18.             shutil.copy(f, dirNameT)
19.     duration = 30 # run for 30 seconds total
20.     hasrunfor = 0 # count how long we have run
21.     while hasrunfor < duration:
22.         endTime = time() + 5  # time() counts in seconds
23.         CopyFiles()
24.         while time() < endTime:
25.             pass
26.         hasrunfor += 5

This will run for 30 seconds total trying to copy files every 5 seconds. I expect that you may get a file error before the 30 seconds are up (especially if you unplug your memory stick). There are ways to make python ignore errors, but this is very advanced programming.

Thank you so much, ouch so there comes a error? I was thinking about having it run all the time and even if there isn't the memory stick in it, but once there is for it to work, I'm going to test it out right now to see if it will work...Thank you for all of yourhelp, this is the best python forum...I will tell you what results I got

ok so everything runs smooth, but the program won't even run when the directory is not there( when the memory stick is taken out), which kind of defeats the purpose of having it run even if the directory isn't there and not showing errors, but extracting the files when the directory is there....even though it is advance programming would you know how I could get python to ignore it even if the memory stick is plugged out but to get the files once the memory stick is in? Could this be solved by just adding another source from where to copy files such as a hard drive would that ignore the fact that one of the drives to be copied is plugged out?

ok so everything runs smooth, but the program won't even run when the directory is not there( when the memory stick is taken out), which kind of defeats the purpose of having it run even if the directory isn't there and not showing errors, but extracting the files when the directory is there....even though it is advance programming would you know how I could get python to ignore it even if the memory stick is plugged out but to get the files once the memory stick is in? Could this be solved by just adding another source from where to copy files such as a hard drive would that ignore the fact that one of the drives to be copied is plugged out?

Please post the error that you are getting.

Yea I figured it out, you can't do the camera, it just won't show up as a mass storage device so I just plug the memory card in, but would you by any chance know how to make the program run every 5 seconds? Thats all I need and the program will be finished.

Replace "D:\\" with the path to the media. Replace 'print f' with whatever you want to do to each file. This script will run until the media is removed or ejected.

Please post the error that you are getting.

Oh no it doesn't give me a error, what happens is I converted it to a .exe file when the flash drive is in, it runs smooth and the command window for that file is open, when i take out the flash drive and click on the exe the program turns on and the window closes automatically now to get the error you are asking for I'll take the flash drive out and run it in PythonWin, and this is the error

fileList = dir_list(dirNameS)
File "C:\Documents and Settings\Robert\Desktop\Python Files\backuptry.py", line 6, in dir_list
for file in os.listdir(dir_name):
WindowsError: [Error 2] The system cannot find the path specified: 'I:\\SD/*.*'

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1. from time import sleep
2. while True:
3.     try:
4.         for f in os.listdir('D:\\'):
5.             print f
6.         sleep(5)
7.     except:
8.         break

Replace "D:\\" with the path to the media. Replace 'print f' with whatever you want to do to each file. This script will run until the media is removed or ejected.

Yea but I need something that will ignore the errors and ignore if the media was ejected and keep working and once the media is plugged back in to keep on backing up

Yea but I need something that will ignore the errors and ignore if the media was ejected and keep working and once the media is plugged back in to keep on backing up

This will run forever. It's not a good thing to do though.

This will run forever. It's not a good thing to do though.

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1. from time import sleep
2. while True:
3.     try:
4.         for f in os.listdir('D:\\'):
5.             print f
6.         sleep(5)
7.     except:
8.         pass

But will it ignore the error if the drive is taken out? because thats all that matters, and I shut it off by just exiting out of the exe that I make out of the python file?

thank you, yea I have no clue on how to do the code thing I keep on trying but I'll try again now, ok so here it is with help from the other thread this is the code.

Expand|Select|Wrap|Line Numbers

1. import os, shutil
2.  
3. def dir_list(dir_name):
4.     fileList = []
5.     for file in os.listdir(dir_name):
6.         dirfile = os.path.join(dir_name, file)
7.         if os.path.isfile(dirfile):
8.             fileList.append(dirfile)
9.     return fileList
10.  
11. if __name__ == '__main__':
12.     dirNameS = (os.path.join('E:\\', 'DCIM', '140canon'))
13.     dirNameT = (os.path.join('C:\\', 'Camera'))
14.     fileList = dir_list(dirNameS)
15.     for f in fileList:
16.        shutil.copy(f, dirNameT)
17.  

Barton - Maybe you should combine these threads. Is it possible?

But will it ignore the error if the drive is taken out? because thats all that matters, and I shut it off by just exiting out of the exe that I make out of the python file?

The try statement executes the code that follows. When an error occurs, execution jumps to the except statement. 'pass' does just what it says: pass - no matter what error is encountered.

This is better. At least the script pauses 5 seconds no matter what.

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1. from time import sleep
2. while True:
3.     try:
4.         for f in os.listdir('D:\\'):
5.             print f
6.         sleep(5)
7.     except:
8.         sleep(5)
9.         pass

This is better. At least the script pauses 5 seconds no matter what.

I am about to try this code but the other one, it didn't even copy the files, with sleep are you turning off the file because I'm trying to get it to execute every 5 seconds

no wonder the last one didn't work, I forgot to change the D:\\ =[

This will run forever. It's not a good thing to do though.

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1. from time import sleep
2. while True:
3.     try:
4.         for f in os.listdir('D:\\'):
5.             print f
6.         sleep(5)
7.     except:
8.         pass

A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

ok so if this is the code

what do I add to this to ignore the errors when the flash drive is taken out?...And what do I add to keep the program running after passing the error...and once the flash drive is added in and its still running will it do the back up that it was made to do?

The try statement executes the code that follows. When an error occurs, execution jumps to the except statement. 'pass' does just what it says: pass - no matter what error is encountered.

I'll give him this one...

Barton - Maybe you should combine these threads. Is it possible?

Ok, guys. I'm going to merge these threads. I'll stick with "Python timing" as the title.

ok can I just say...the code doesn't work once the WindowsError: pass thing was added, it doesn't work...when i run it I get a syntax error and when i try to convert it to a exe it won't even do it because the something is wrong with the code

ok can I just say...the code doesn't work once the WindowsError: pass thing was added, it doesn't work...when i run it I get a syntax error and when i try to convert it to a exe it won't even do it because the something is wrong with the code

Sorry. Had bad indentation on one line. Here's the fix:

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE HELP BOTH OF YOU!!!! it finally works it does exactly what I need it to do.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE HELP BOTH OF YOU!!!! it finally works it does exactly what I need it to do.

You are VERY welcome. Be sure to start a new discussion for you next question. Thanks and keep posting,
Barton

I'll be sure to ask fro help on this forum, you guys are really good at helping, other forums, rn't too good....KUDOS

I'll be sure to ask fro help on this forum, you guys are really good at helping, other forums, rn't too good....KUDOS

I am glad to help. Good work Barton!

I am glad to help. Good work Barton!

You too. Thanks BV.