Comprehensive Guide to Python’s Pathlib Library for Modern File System Management

The pathlib module in Python provides a comprehensive set of classes to handle filesystem paths. It is object-oriented, allowing for easy manipulation and reading of paths. Let’s explore some of the most useful APIs with examples.

Basic Usage

from pathlib import Path

path = Path('/home/user')  # Creating a Path object
print(path)  # /home/user

Checking Existence

path = Path('/home/user')
print(path.exists())  # Returns True if path exists

Path Manipulations

path = Path('/home/user/docs')

# Join paths
new_path = path / 'file.txt'
print(new_path)  # /home/user/docs/file.txt

# Parent directory
print(path.parent)  # /home/user

# Name, suffix, and stem
print(new_path.name)  # file.txt
print(new_path.suffix)  # .txt
print(new_path.stem)  # file

Reading and Writing Files

path = Path('example.txt')

# Writing to a file
 path.write_text('Hello, Pathlib!')
 
# Reading from a file
content = path.read_text()
print(content)  # Hello, Pathlib!

Directory Operations

path = Path('/home/user/docs')

# List all files and directories
for item in path.iterdir():
     print(item)
 
# Create a new directory
new_dir = path / 'new_folder'
new_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
 
# Remove a directory
new_dir.rmdir()

Advanced Usage with File Glob Patterns

path = Path('/home/user/docs')

# Searching for all text files
for txt_file in path.glob('*.txt'):
     print(txt_file)

# Searching for all Python files recursively
for py_file in path.rglob('*.py'):
     print(py_file)

Building an App Example

from pathlib import Path

def cleanup_old_logs(logs_dir, days_old):
    from datetime import datetime, timedelta
    threshold_date = datetime.now() - timedelta(days=days_old)
    
    logs_path = Path(logs_dir)

    for log_file in logs_path.glob('*.log'):
        file_modified_time = datetime.fromtimestamp(log_file.stat().st_mtime)
        
        if file_modified_time < threshold_date:
            log_file.unlink()  # Remove the file
            print(f'Removed log file: {log_file}')

# Using the function
cleanup_old_logs('/var/log/myapp', 30)

In the example above, we created a simple application function named cleanup_old_logs that removes log files older than a specified number of days.

The pathlib module is a powerful addition to Python's standard library, making filesystem path manipulation intuitive and straightforward. Its object-oriented design will enhance your code readability and efficiency.

Start using pathlib in your projects today and enjoy the benefits of modern file system management in Python!

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