Move files and directories in Python

Moving files and directories in Python is a common task in file management tasks, and it can be accomplished easily and efficiently with the os module. In this tutorial, we will explore the different ways in which we can move files and directories using Python. We will learn about the os module, its different methods, and how to use them to move files and directories. We will also look at some practical examples to understand the concepts better. So, let's dive into the world of Python file handling and learn how to move files and directories using Python.

Moving a file in Python

• Use the  os  module's   rename()  method to move a file from a source path to a destination path.
• Code Sample : 

import os

source_file = "/path/to/source/file"
destination_file = "/path/to/destination/file"
os.rename(source_file, destination_file)

How to move multiple files in Python

• Use the  shutil  module's   move()  method to move multiple files from a source directory to a destination directory.
• Code Sample : 

import shutil

source_directory = "/path/to/source/directory"
destination_directory = "/path/to/destination/directory"

for file_name in os.listdir(source_directory):
   source = os.path.join(source_directory, file_name)
   destination = os.path.join(destination_directory, file_name)
   shutil.move(source, destination)
   
   
   

How to move all files from a directory in Python :

• Use the  shutil  module's   move()  method to move all files from a source directory to a destination directory.
• Code Sample : 

import os
import shutil

source_directory = "/path/to/source/directory"
destination_directory = "/path/to/destination/directory"

for file_name in os.listdir(source_directory):
   source = os.path.join(source_directory, file_name)
   destination = os.path.join(destination_directory, file_name)
   if os.path.isfile(source):
       shutil.move(source, destination)
       
       
       

How to move files matching a pattern (Wildcard) :

• Use the  glob  module's to move files from a source directory to a destination directory that match a specific pattern (wildcard).
• Code Sample : 

import glob
import os

source_directory = "/path/to/source/directory"
destination_directory = "/path/to/destination/directory"

for file_name in glob.glob(os.path.join(source_directory, "*.txt")):
   shutil.move(file_name, destination_directory)
   
   
   

How to move files based on file extension

• Use the  shutil  module's   move()  method to move files from a source directory to a destination directory based on their file extensions.
• Code Sample : 

import os
import shutil

source_directory = "/path/to/source/directory"
destination_directory = "/path/to/destination/directory"

for file_name in os.listdir(source_directory):
   if file_name.endswith(".txt"):
       source = os.path.join(source_directory, file_name)
       destination = os.path.join(destination_directory, file_name)
       shutil.move(source, destination)
       
       
       

How to move files based on filename

• Use the  shutil  module's   move()  method to move files based on their filename from a source directory to a destination directory.
• Code Sample : 

import os
import shutil

source_directory = "/path/to/source/directory"
destination_directory = "/path/to/destination/directory"

for file_name in os.listdir(source_directory):
   if "sample" in file_name:
       source = os.path.join(source_directory, file_name)
       destination = os.path.join(destination_directory, file_name)
       shutil.move(source, destination)
       
       
       

How to move file and rename in Python :

• Use the  os  module's   rename()  method to move a file from a source path to a destination path and rename the file in the process.
• Code Sample : 

import os

source_file = "/path/to/source/file"
destination_file = "/path/to/destination/file2"
os.rename(source_file, destination_file)