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+--- Thread: Retrieving last 20 file paths from directory (/thread-35013.html)
Retrieving last 20 file paths from directory - dyerlee91 - Sep-23-2021
Hello all,
I'm having a hard time getting this script across the finish line. I want to display only the last 20 file paths in the given directory, but I keep hitting a wall. Right now, it prints all the file paths in the folder, but I only want to the last 20. Can anyone help point me in the right direction?
import glob
import os
from pathlib import Path
path = (r'\\directory')
files = filter(lambda filepath: filepath.is_file(), Path(path).glob('*'))
for file in files:
print(file.absolute())
RE: Retrieving last 20 file paths from directory - snippsat - Sep-23-2021
Use code tags Code Tags.
Could do it like this.
import glob
import os
from pathlib import Path
path = (r'\\directory')
files = filter(lambda filepath: filepath.is_file(), Path(path).glob('*'))
file_lst = [f for f in files][-20:]
for file in file_lst:
print(file)
RE: Retrieving last 20 file paths from directory - dyerlee91 - Sep-24-2021
Awesome, thanks! Say I wanted to print the last 20 file paths from separate directories. For example, my setup would be:
(r'\\directory\asset1\asset1_runfile')
(r'\\directory\asset2\asset2_runfile')
(r'\\directory\asset3\asset3_runfile')
(r'\\directory\asset4\asset4_runfile')
How would I go about printing the last 20 file names of each "asset" without writing the same code with that slight variation over and over?
RE: Retrieving last 20 file paths from directory - DeaD_EyE - Sep-24-2021
(Sep-23-2021, 04:46 PM)dyerlee91 Wrote: I want to display only the last 20 file paths in the given directory, but I keep hitting a wall.
If you just use glob, the order is not alphabetical nor by modification time. Actually, I don't know if there is any kind of order. Maybe the inode-number define the order, but I am not certain.
You can use sorted with a key-function to define the order, and you can reverse it as well.
Her an example with sort_by_mtime, sort_by_ctime, sort_by_alpha:
from pathlib import Path
def sort_by_mtime(pathlike: Path):
return pathlike.stat().st_mtime
def sort_by_ctime(pathlike: Path):
return pathlike.stat().st_ctime
def sort_by_alpha(pathlike: Path):
return str(pathlike.name)
def last_files(directory, pattern, last_files=10, key_function=None):
path_iterator = Path(directory).glob(pattern)
if callable(key_function):
# if key_function is None or not callable, this branch is not executed
sorted_iterator = sorted(path_iterator, key=key_function, reverse=True)
else:
# no key_function, so sorting by name alphanumeric implicit
sorted_iterator = sorted(path_iterator, reverse=True)
file_count = 0
for path in sorted_iterator:
if path.is_dir():
# skipping directories
continue
if file_count >= last_files:
return
yield path
file_count += 1The function is a generator, you've to consume it.files = list(last_files("/home/pi/Downloads", pattern="*.txt", last_files=5, key_function=sort_by_ctime))
# list files in Download
# with *.txt
# and the last 5 of it.
# the last file comes first in list, the second last file comes second ...As you can see, you can also use functions as arguments. This function (sort_by_ctime) is called by sorted for each file to get a value back for comparison. This value could be an int or a str or something else, but must then always return the same data-type.I hope this is not overcomplicated.