store directory structure in nested dictionary in python

Question

I am trying to store directory structure in a nested dictionary. The tree of the directory

├── dirA
│   ├── dirB1
│   │   └── file1.txt
│   └── dirB2
│       └── file2.txt
├── templates
│   ├── base.html
│   └── report.html
└── test.py

The nested dictionary is like:

{'dirs': {'.': {'dirs': {'dirA': {'dirs': {'dirB1': {'dirs': {},
                                                     'files': ['file1.txt']}, 
                                           'dirB2': {'dirs': {},
                                                     'files':['file2.txt']}
                                                     }                                          
                                  'files': []}, 
                         'templates':{'dirs':{},
                                  'files':['base.html', 'report.html']}},
         'files': ['test.py']}},
 'files': []}

I think recursion is a good way to do this.

import os                                                 
import pprint              

pp = pprint.PrettyPrinter()
def path_to_dict(path): 
    d = {'dirs':{},'files':[]}
    name = os.path.basename(path)
    if os.path.isdir(path):
        if name not in d['dirs']:
            d['dirs'][name] = {'dirs':{},'files':[]}
        for x in os.listdir(path):
            d['dirs'][name]= path_to_dict(os.path.join(path,x))                                                 
    else:                  
        d['files'].append(name)        
    return d               

mydict = path_to_dict('.')
pp.pprint(mydict)

The result is different from what I expected. But I don't know which step goes wrong in the recursion.

I know why this code output the wrong result. d = {'dirs':{},'files':[]} will reset the dictionary items. — l0o0
– l0o0, Commented Sep 25, 2017 at 9:01
Why do you need this? os.walk() is usually much easier to work with when traversing directory structures. — Martin Evans
– Martin Evans, Commented Sep 25, 2017 at 9:33
@MartinEvans Yes, os.walk() can go through the directory. But I am trying to stroe the directory structure. — l0o0
– l0o0, Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 2:04

y.luis.rojo · Accepted Answer · 2017-09-26 00:17:15Z

5

You are creating the dict object on every call, what you need to do is pass its d['dirs'][name] value on every call to allow its recursive construction:

import os
import pprint

pp = pprint.PrettyPrinter()

def path_to_dict(path, d):

    name = os.path.basename(path)

    if os.path.isdir(path):
        if name not in d['dirs']:
            d['dirs'][name] = {'dirs':{},'files':[]}
        for x in os.listdir(path):
            path_to_dict(os.path.join(path,x), d['dirs'][name])
    else:
        d['files'].append(name)
    return d


mydict = path_to_dict('.', d = {'dirs':{},'files':[]})

pp.pprint(mydict)

edited Sep 26, 2017 at 0:17

answered Sep 26, 2017 at 0:09

y.luis.rojo

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