How can I check if a file exists in a directory with Python and then delete/remove it using python program?
You can easily check if a file exists, in a current directory using the following python syntax:
os.path.isfile(filename)
Next, you can use the following syntax to delete the file:
os.remove(filename)
Check If a File Exists and Then Delete It in Python
#!/usr/bin/pythonimportos## get input ##
filename=raw_input("Type file name to remove: ")## delete only if file exists ##ifos.path.exists(filename):
os.remove(filename)else:
print("Sorry, I can not remove %s file." % filename)
#!/usr/bin/python
import os ## get input ##
filename=raw_input("Type file name to remove: ") ## delete only if file exists ##
if os.path.exists(filename):
os.remove(filename)
else:
print("Sorry, I can not remove %s file." % filename)
Sample outputs: Fig. 01: remove.py in action
A Better Option To Delete A File In Python
The following code gives an error information when it can not delete the given file name:
#!/usr/bin/pythonimportos## get input ##
filename=raw_input("Type file name to remove: ")## check if a file exists on disk #### if exists, delete it else show message on screen ##ifos.path.exists(filename):
try:
os.remove(filename)exceptOSError, e:
print("Error: %s - %s." % (e.filename,e.strerror))else:
print("Sorry, I can not find %s file." % filename)
#!/usr/bin/python
import os ## get input ##
filename=raw_input("Type file name to remove: ") ## check if a file exists on disk ##
## if exists, delete it else show message on screen ##
if os.path.exists(filename):
try:
os.remove(filename)
except OSError, e:
print ("Error: %s - %s." % (e.filename,e.strerror))
else:
print("Sorry, I can not find %s file." % filename)
Sample outputs: Fig. 02: Updated remove.py to check if a file exists and then delete it
The author is the creator of nixCraft and a seasoned sysadmin, DevOps engineer, and a trainer for the Linux operating system/Unix shell scripting. Get the latest tutorials on SysAdmin, Linux/Unix and open source topics via RSS/XML feed or weekly email newsletter.
