Python program to traverse directories and read file information

Question

I'm just getting started with Python but already have found it much more productive than Bash shell scripting.

I'm trying to write a Python script that will traverse every directory that branches from the directory I launch the script in, and for each file it encounters, load an instance of this class:

class FileInfo:

    def __init__(self, filename, filepath):
        self.filename = filename
        self.filepath = filepath

The filepath attribute would be the full absolute path from root (/). Here's the pseudocode mockup for what I'd like the main program to do:

from (current directory):

    for each file in this directory, 
    create an instance of FileInfo and load the file name and path

    switch to a nested directory, or if there is none, back out of this directory

I've been reading about os.walk() and ok.path.walk(), but I'd like some advice about what the most straightforward way to implement this in Python would be. Thanks in advance.

Where do you want to assign the created object to? This seems to be otherwise trivial. — Ofir
– Ofir, Commented Mar 24, 2011 at 15:35

John Percival Hackworth · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-24 15:37:13Z

17

I'd use os.walk doing the following:

def getInfos(currentDir):
    infos = []
    for root, dirs, files in os.walk(currentDir): # Walk directory tree
        for f in files:
            infos.append(FileInfo(f,root))
    return infos

answered Mar 24, 2011 at 15:37

John Percival Hackworth

11.5k2 gold badges31 silver badges38 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

franka Over a year ago

Use snake_case instead of CamelCase for Python.

Sven Marnach · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-24 15:36:26Z

7

Try

info = []
for path, dirs, files in os.walk("."):
    info.extend(FileInfo(filename, path) for filename in files)

or

info = [FileInfo(filename, path)
        for path, dirs, files in os.walk(".")
        for filename in files]

to get a list of one FileInfo instance per file.

answered Mar 24, 2011 at 15:36

Sven Marnach

608k123 gold badges968 silver badges865 bronze badges

Comments

Linus Unnebäck · Accepted Answer · 2021-10-19 15:08:30Z

1

Try it

import os

for item in os.walk(".", "*"):
    print(item)

edited Oct 19, 2021 at 15:08

Linus Unnebäck

24.4k16 gold badges79 silver badges91 bronze badges

answered Apr 5, 2013 at 9:36

Haxinos

211 bronze badge

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Python program to traverse directories and read file information

3 Answers 3

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

3 Answers 3

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related