Removing a temporary file in Python

Question

This is my existing code to zip a folder which I have put together mostly from help on here:

#!/usr/bin/env python

import os
import sys
import datetime

now = datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M")
target_dir = '/var/lib/data'
temp_dir='/tmp'

zip = zipfile.ZipFile(os.path.join(temp_dir, now+".zip"), 'w', zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED)
rootlen = len(target_dir) + 1
for base, dirs, files in os.walk(target_dir):
   for file in files:
      fn = os.path.join(base, file)
      zip.write(fn, fn[rootlen:])

If I wanted to remove the zip file I just created at the end of the opperation, would the best command be this?

os.remove.join(temp_dir, now+".zip")

Answer 1

The os.remove(os.path.join(temp_dir, now + ".zip")) will be fine.

However, you should ensure that it is executed properly in every case you want it to.

If it is to be removed in any case, you could do

create it
try:
    work with it
finally:
    remove it

But in this case, you could as well use the tempfile module:

import tempfile
with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix='.zip') as t:
    z = zipfile.ZipFile(t.name, 'w') # re-create it
    do stuff with z
# after the with clause, the file is gone.

If, however, you want it to be gone only under special circumstances (on success, on error, ...) you are stuck with os.remove(os.path.join(temp_dir, now+".zip")) and you should use it whenever the file is to be deleted.

try:
    do_stuff
except VerySpecialException:
    os.remove(os.path.join(temp_dir, now+".zip")) # do that here for a special exception?
    raise # re-raise
except: # only use a bare except if you intend to re-raise
    os.remove(os.path.join(temp_dir, now+".zip")) # or here for all exceptions?
    raise # re-raise
else:
    os.remove(os.path.join(temp_dir, now+".zip")) # or here for success?

Answer 2

This would be the way to do it:

os.remove(os.path.join(temp_dir, now+".zip"))

have fun, Mike