Python - Transfer File From Different Folder While Skip Duplicate

 

Problem

Another day, my boss request me :

Can you make me a python script to move all file in "this" folder to "that" folder, so i can automate backup "this" folder, you can skip duplicate files to shorten process time

Logic

We can loop through all files in "this" folder, and check if is in "that" folder. If isn't in "that" folder, we use function "shutil.copy2" to move files to "that" folder. (We use copy2 because we want to preserve file metadata)

1. import library function "shutil" and "os"

2. Record path to "this" folder to variable "fromDirectory"

3. Record path to "that" folder to variable "toDirectory"

4. Loop trough all files, and check with function "os.path.isfile"

5. Use function "shutil.copy2" to move if check is done

6. save python script in any folder you want

7. create task schedule for automate

Solution

Make new python with the following script :

import os
import shutil

fromDirectory = "'this' folder path"
toDirectory = "'that' folder path"

src_files = os.listdir(fromDirectory)
for file_name in src_files:
    full_file_name_src = os.path.join(fromDirectory, file_name)
    full_file_name_des = os.path.join(toDirectory, file_name)
    if not (os.path.isfile(full_file_name_des)):
        if (os.path.isfile(full_file_name_src)):
            shutil.copy2(full_file_name_src, toDirectory)

save script, and make task schedule to autorun script