Reading / printing dir contents 1

[Lozbinator]

Hi,

I'm new to this list and to python.

I am wondering, am I able to make my program read the file names in a directory and then print each file name to a new line in a text file?

If it is possible I'd appreciate some help.

Thank you!

 

[JustinEzequiel]

## using Python 2.2.2
import os

sPath = "C:/Windows/"
sFile = "C:/Windows/Temp/delme.txt"

files = os.listdir(sPath)

f = file(sFile, "w&quot
for name in files:
if os.path.isfile(sPath + name):
f.write(name + "\n&quot
f.close()

print "finished!"

 

[Lozbinator]

Thank you for your help. Given that I am still so new, would you mind explaining how this works?

 

[JustinEzequiel]

## I too am new to Python
## However, I will try my best to explain the code

files = os.listdir(sPath)
## this line puts the names of all the files and subdirectories in the specified path/directory into a list variable named 'files'

f = file(sFile, "w&quot
## this opens the specified file for output so that we could later write to it
## the file object is stored in the variable named 'f'

for name in files:
if os.path.isfile(sPath + name):
f.write(name + "\n&quot
## the 'for ...' loop is to iterate through all elements of the list variable named 'files'
## each element of the list can then be referenced via the variable named 'name'
## the 'if ...' checks if the element is a file and not a subdirectory
## f.write(name + "\n&quot means write contents of the variable 'name' into the file 'f'
## the "\n" is a line separator

 

[Lozbinator]

Thanks again!

Python is my first attempt at learning to code properly since my limited programming experience @ uni in '98.

Since your last post I was playing around with trying to get the 'last modified' date to print too.

All fun and games!

 

[JustinEzequiel]

open a python command-line prompt
enter the following

>>>import os
>>>help(os.path)

browse for functions starting with 'g'
you'll find what you need

I would like to have more time to explore Python more but work takes too much of my time as it is.

Enjoy coding! Python is great! I wish I started programming in Python instead of VB. Bye! Got to get back to work.

 

[sebsauvage]

As JustinEzequiel wrote, listdir() works very well.

Alternatively, you can use the glob module:

http://python.org/doc/current/lib/module-glob.html

It's especially usefull when you want to filter filenames.

Example: List all the EXE files in the c:\Windows directory:
import glob
file = open('myfiles.txt','w+b')
filelist = glob.glob(r'c:\windows\*.exe')
file.write( '\n'.join(filelist) )
file.close()

 

[Lozbinator]

Thanks

What is the +b part when opening the file??

 

[sebsauvage]

'w' means "open file for writing"
'w+' means "open file for writing, but empty the file if it already exists."
'b' means "in binary mode".

In text mode, Python will write a newline to the file for each line sent to text file.
In binary mode, Python treats the file as a stream of bytes (Therefore I manually add newlines ('\n'.join...)).

 

[damionclaymore]

I am also new to python, and when I tryed to use this code it told me that the file was uncallable.

f = file(sFile, "w&quot--------the file right here------

and when I would switch that file to open, it would work fine but the file that it is writing to would be empty.