Using `touch` in a Windows Python File

Question

I have a Python file running on macOS which calls touch in the following ways:

os.system("touch -c %s" % apicache_file)

os.system("touch -c %s" % downloadFilename)

os.system("touch -c %s" % meta_cache_file)

However, I need to run the script on a Windows machine. How can I modify the script or the system to allow this to be done? Otherwise, I receive the following error:

'touch' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file

Possible duplicate of stackoverflow.com/questions/12654772/… Using open() and other Python handlers is a more efficient way to deal with this problem since it is cross platform, unlike using os.system to call terminal commands — paupaulaz
– paupaulaz, Commented Dec 7, 2019 at 15:45

RafalS · Accepted Answer · 2019-12-07 16:05:49Z

7

Just don't use shell commands. Touch can be done with platform independent pathlib

from pathlib import Path

Path("some/path/file.txt").touch()

Simple open(path, "w") would also work but path on windows would need \ instead of /

edited Dec 7, 2019 at 16:05

answered Dec 7, 2019 at 15:46

RafalS

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