Generating Random Files for Testing 🤖

To kick off, we can construct a Python script that generates random files in any desired directory. This step is crucial for simulating a directory filled with varied files that require organization. The files created will vary in extensions, creation dates, and sizes to make the scenario more realistic, which can be beneficial for testing file management techniques.

Create a new Python file named python-generator.py and include the following code:

import os

import random

import string

import datetime

def generate_random_files(directory, num_files=10):

if not os.path.exists(directory):

os.makedirs(directory)

for _ in range(num_files):

file_name = ''.join(random.choices(string.ascii_lowercase, k=5))

file_extension = random.choice(['.txt', '.jpg', '.pdf', '.docx', '.png'])

current_time = datetime.datetime.now()

creation_date = current_time - datetime.timedelta(days=random.randint(0, 30))

file_size = random.randint(1024, 1024 * 10240)

file_path = os.path.join(directory, f"{file_name}{file_extension}")

with open(file_path, 'wb') as file:

file.write(b'0' * file_size)

os.utime(file_path, (creation_date.timestamp(), creation_date.timestamp()))

if __name__ == "__main__":

random_files_directory = "/path/to/random/files"

generate_random_files(random_files_directory, num_files=10)

Ensure you modify random_files_directory to your preferred directory path. This script allows you to create a designated number of random files, each with unique names, extensions, and creation dates within the last 30 days, making it ideal for testing purposes.

Running the Script

Execute the following command to run the script:

python python-generator.py

This will generate a variety of random files in the specified directory, which can then be used as input for the file organization scripts discussed later.

Organizing Files by Extension 🗂️

Next, we will develop a script to systematically arrange files based on their extensions, making it easier to locate and manage them.

Create a new Python file named file-sorting.py:

import os

import shutil

def organise_files_by_extension(source_dir, target_dir):

if not os.path.exists(target_dir):

os.makedirs(target_dir)

for filename in os.listdir(source_dir):

source_path = os.path.join(source_dir, filename)

if os.path.isdir(source_path):

continue

_, file_extension = os.path.splitext(filename)

target_subdir = os.path.join(target_dir, file_extension[1:])

if not os.path.exists(target_subdir):

os.makedirs(target_subdir)

shutil.move(source_path, os.path.join(target_subdir, filename))

if __name__ == "__main__":

source_directory = "/Users/mili/DevOps/python-scripts/files"

target_directory = "/Users/mili/DevOps/python-scripts/sorted-files"

organise_files_by_extension(source_directory, target_directory)

Ensure you update source_directory and target_directory with your actual paths. This script will organize the files into folders based on their extensions, simplifying file management.

Organizing Files by Creation Date 📅

To facilitate file accessibility, we can create a Python script that organizes files by their creation dates.

Run the Python generator script to create random files:

python python-generator.py

Then create a new script named file-creation-date.py:

import os

import shutil

from datetime import datetime

def organise_files_by_date(source_dir, target_dir):

if not os.path.exists(target_dir):

os.makedirs(target_dir)

for filename in os.listdir(source_dir):

source_path = os.path.join(source_dir, filename)

if os.path.isdir(source_path):

continue

creation_time = os.path.getctime(source_path)

creation_date = datetime.utcfromtimestamp(creation_time).strftime('%Y-%m-%d')

target_subdir = os.path.join(target_dir, creation_date)

if not os.path.exists(target_subdir):

os.makedirs(target_subdir)

shutil.move(source_path, os.path.join(target_subdir, filename))

if __name__ == "__main__":

source_directory = "/Users/mili/DevOps/python-scripts/files"

target_directory = "/Users/mili/DevOps/python-scripts/files-creation-date"

organise_files_by_date(source_directory, target_directory)

Remember to update the directories as needed. This script will effectively categorize files into subdirectories based on their creation dates.

Organizing Files by Size 🐘

To further enhance your file organization, consider sorting files by their size.

First, run the Python generator script again:

python python-generator.py

Next, create a new file called files-size.py:

import os

import shutil

def organise_files_by_size(source_dir, target_dir, size_limit=1024):

if not os.path.exists(target_dir):

os.makedirs(target_dir)

for filename in os.listdir(source_dir):

source_path = os.path.join(source_dir, filename)

if os.path.isdir(source_path):

continue

file_size = os.path.getsize(source_path) / 1024

if file_size <= size_limit:

target_subdir = os.path.join(target_dir, 'small_files')

else:

target_subdir = os.path.join(target_dir, 'large_files')

if not os.path.exists(target_subdir):

os.makedirs(target_subdir)

shutil.move(source_path, os.path.join(target_subdir, filename))

if __name__ == "__main__":

source_directory = "/Users/mili/DevOps/python-scripts/files"

target_directory = "/Users/mili/DevOps/python-scripts/files-size"

organise_files_by_size(source_directory, target_directory)

After running this script, you'll be able to view files categorized into 'large_files' and 'small_files' directories.

Removing Empty Directories 🫙

Creating a clean directory structure can be achieved by removing any empty folders.

Create a script named remove-empty-dirs.py:

import os

def remove_empty_directories(directory):

for root, dirs, files in os.walk(directory, topdown=False):

for dir_name in dirs:

dir_path = os.path.join(root, dir_name)

if not os.listdir(dir_path):

os.rmdir(dir_path)

if __name__ == "__main__":

target_directory = "/Users/mili/DevOps/python-scripts/empty-dirs"

remove_empty_directories(target_directory)

This will help keep your directory structure tidy by eliminating any empty folders.

Renaming Files Based on a Pattern 🌈

Finally, if you need to rename files according to a specific pattern, create the script file-pattern.py:

import os

def rename_files(source_dir, pattern='file_{}'):

for count, filename in enumerate(os.listdir(source_dir)):

source_path = os.path.join(source_dir, filename)

new_filename = pattern.format(count)

new_path = os.path.join(source_dir, new_filename)

os.rename(source_path, new_path)

if __name__ == "__main__":

source_directory = "/Users/mili/DevOps/python-scripts/files"

rename_files(source_directory)

This script allows you to rename files in a specified directory based on a user-defined pattern.