Python glob -- get newest file from list

Question

I am able to retrieve the list of files with similar names. What I am trying to do is retrieve the newest file in order to be manipulated. With glob, I am able to retrieve all of the files, but not the specific one.

Here is my sample code:

permissionCurrentDate = '\n'.join(glob.iglob(os.path.join("PermissionsOnSystems*")))

Here is the result when I print it:

PermissionsOnSystems2.txt

PermissionsOnSystems20170313-144036.txt

What I want is just PermissionsOnSystems20170313-144036.txt.

How can I do this?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Depending on if you want the newest file from the perspective of access time, metadata change time, or modify time you can use os.path.getatime, os.path.getctime or os.path.getmtime. So something like:

max(glob.iglob('PermissionsOnSystems*'), key=os.path.getmtime)