Renaming and Deleting Files in Python
In Python, you can easily rename and delete files using the os module. This module provides a portable way of using operating system-dependent functionality, including file operations.
Renaming Files
To rename a file, you can use the os.rename() function. This function takes two arguments: the current file name and the new file name.
Example of Renaming a File
# Renaming a file
import os
# Original file name
original_file = "old_file.txt"
# New file name
new_file = "new_file.txt"
# Renaming the file
os.rename(original_file, new_file)
print("File renamed from", original_file, "to", new_file)Output
Deleting Files
To delete a file, you can use the os.remove() function. This function takes one argument: the file name you want to delete.
Example of Deleting a File
# Deleting a file
import os
# File name to delete
file_to_delete = "new_file.txt"
# Deleting the file
os.remove(file_to_delete)
print("File", file_to_delete, "has been deleted.")Output
Handling Exceptions
It is a good practice to handle exceptions when renaming or deleting files, as the file may not exist or you may not have the necessary permissions.
Example with Exception Handling
# Renaming and deleting a file with exception handling
import os
try:
# Renaming a file
os.rename("non_existent_file.txt", "renamed_file.txt")
except FileNotFoundError:
print("Error: The file does not exist.")
try:
# Deleting a file
os.remove("non_existent_file.txt")
except FileNotFoundError:
print("Error: The file does not exist.")Output
Error: The file does not exist.
Conclusion
Renaming and deleting files in Python is straightforward with the os module. Always remember to handle exceptions to ensure your program can gracefully handle scenarios where files may not exist.