python moving multiple files from one folder to the other based on text characters in file name

Question

I'm quite new to Python. I've been exploring the shutil module and can move things in general. My question revolves around:

Imagine a scenario in which you have hundreds of files in an export folder. While all the files are distinct, 13 of each are for a specific vendor. I would like to create a script that goes through the export folder, evaluates each file name, grabs all the Apple files and puts them in the Apple Folder, Intel files and puts them in the Intel Folder, etc. Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I was trying to have wildcards in the shutil copy, but did not have any luck.

Thanks,

JT

Answer 1

Easiest solution I could think of:

import shutil
import os

source = '/path/to/source_folder'
dest1 = '/path/to/apple_folder'
dest2 = '/path/to/intel_folder'

files = os.listdir(source)

for f in files:
    if (f.startswith("Apple") or f.startswith("apple")):
        shutil.move(f, dest1)
    elif (f.startswith("Intel") or f.startswith("intel")):
        shutil.move(f, dest2)

The destination folders do need to exist.

Answer 2

import glob, shutil

for file in glob.glob('path_to_dir/apple*'):
    shutil.move(file, new_dst)


# a list of file types
vendors =['path_to_dir/apple*', 'path_to_dir/intel*'] 

for file in vendors:
     for f in (glob.glob(file)): 
         if "apple" in f: # if apple in name, move to new apple dir
             shutil.move(f, new_apple_dir)
         else:
             shutil.move(f, new_intel_dir) # else move to intel dir

Answer 3

Assuming there are specific strings in the file names that identify which vendor the report relates to, you could create a dictionary that maps those identifying-strings to the appropriate vendor. For example:

import shutil
import os

path = '/path/to/location'

vendorMap = {'apple': 'Apple', 
             'intel': 'Intel', 
             'stringID3': 'vendor3'}

files = os.listdir(path)

for f in files:
    for key, value in vendorMap.iteritems():
        if key in f.lower():
            shutil.copy(f, path + '/' + value)
        else:
            print 'Error identifying vendor for', f

This will create a folder in the current directory, named for the appropriate vendor, and copy that vendor's reports there. Note that this example uses the s.lower() method so that it won't matter whether the vendor name is capitalized.