Python: Finding user id and moving directories (Windows)

Question

What I'm trying to accomplish is to have my program move itself from the folder it's currently in, to another folder. In this case, Videos. This is the code:

import getpass
import os

userid = getpass.getuser()


print os.getcwd()

os.rename("$s/userid.py", "%s/Videos/userid.py")  % ('os.getcwd()', '%userid')

But running it from power shell gets me this error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "userid.py", line 9, in <module>
os.rename("$s/userid.py", "%s/Videos/userid.py")  % ('os.getcwd
WindowsError: [Error 3] The system cannot find the path specified

And then I thought maybe the parentheses with os.getcwd() was causing problems so I tried this but with the same error:

import getpass
import os
import shutil

userid = getpass.getuser()


currentpath = os.getcwd()

shutil.move("%s/userid.py", "C:/users/%s/Videos/userid.py")  % (currentpath, userid)

Also, if I don't just want the current user's id, but the id for all users profile, how would I do that?

Thanks

UPDATED: It works! Thanks so much everyone

import getpass
import os
import shutil


currentpath = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))


shutil.copyfile("%s/userid.py" % currentpath, "%s/Videos/userid.py" % os.path.expanduser('~'))

Answer 1

The location of special folders can be queried by calling SHGetKnownFolderPath with a KNOWNFOLDERID constant. This function was introduced in Windows Vista.

The following module defines the helper function get_known_folder_path as well as several of the commonly used KNOWNFOLDERID constants. If PyWin32 is installed, it also defines get_known_folder_id_list and list_known_folder, which allows listing virtual folders such as the apps folder.

knownfolders.py:

import ctypes
from ctypes import wintypes

__all__ = ['FOLDERID', 'get_known_folder_path']

_ole32 = ctypes.OleDLL('ole32')
_shell32 = ctypes.OleDLL('shell32')

class GUID(ctypes.Structure):
    _fields_ = (('Data1', ctypes.c_ulong),
                ('Data2', ctypes.c_ushort),
                ('Data3', ctypes.c_ushort),
                ('Data4', ctypes.c_char * 8))
    def __init__(self, guid_string):
        _ole32.IIDFromString(guid_string, ctypes.byref(self))

REFKNOWNFOLDERID = LPIID = ctypes.POINTER(GUID)

_ole32.IIDFromString.argtypes = (
    wintypes.LPCWSTR, # lpsz,
    LPIID)            # lpiid

_ole32.CoTaskMemFree.restype = None
_ole32.CoTaskMemFree.argtypes = (wintypes.LPVOID,)

_shell32.SHGetKnownFolderPath.argtypes = (
    REFKNOWNFOLDERID, # rfid
    wintypes.DWORD,   # dwFlags
    wintypes.HANDLE,  # hToken
    ctypes.POINTER(wintypes.LPWSTR)) # ppszPath

def get_known_folder_path(folder_id, htoken=None):
    pszPath = wintypes.LPWSTR()
    _shell32.SHGetKnownFolderPath(ctypes.byref(folder_id),
                                  0, htoken, ctypes.byref(pszPath))
    folder_path = pszPath.value
    _ole32.CoTaskMemFree(pszPath)
    return folder_path

try:
    from win32com.shell import shell, shellcon
except ImportError:
    pass
else:
    __all__ += ['get_known_folder_id_list', 'list_known_folder']

    PPITEMIDLIST = ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_void_p)

    _shell32.SHGetKnownFolderIDList.argtypes = (
        REFKNOWNFOLDERID, # rfid
        wintypes.DWORD,   # dwFlags
        wintypes.HANDLE,  # hToken
        PPITEMIDLIST)     # ppidl

    def get_known_folder_id_list(folder_id, htoken=None):
        pidl = ctypes.c_void_p()
        _shell32.SHGetKnownFolderIDList(ctypes.byref(folder_id),
                                        0, htoken, ctypes.byref(pidl))
        folder_id_list = shell.AddressAsPIDL(pidl.value)
        _ole32.CoTaskMemFree(pidl)
        return folder_id_list

    def list_known_folder(folder_id, htoken=None):
        result = []
        pidl = get_known_folder_id_list(folder_id, htoken)
        shell_item = shell.SHCreateShellItem(None, None, pidl)
        shell_enum = shell_item.BindToHandler(None, shell.BHID_EnumItems,
            shell.IID_IEnumShellItems)
        for item in shell_enum:
            result.append(item.GetDisplayName(shellcon.SIGDN_NORMALDISPLAY))
        result.sort(key=lambda x: x.upper())
        return result

# KNOWNFOLDERID
# https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd378457

# fixed
FOLDERID_Windows         = GUID('{F38BF404-1D43-42F2-9305-67DE0B28FC23}')
FOLDERID_System          = GUID('{1AC14E77-02E7-4E5D-B744-2EB1AE5198B7}')
FOLDERID_SystemX86       = GUID('{D65231B0-B2F1-4857-A4CE-A8E7C6EA7D27}')
FOLDERID_Fonts           = GUID('{FD228CB7-AE11-4AE3-864C-16F3910AB8FE}')
FOLDERID_ResourceDir     = GUID('{8AD10C31-2ADB-4296-A8F7-E4701232C972}')
FOLDERID_UserProfiles    = GUID('{0762D272-C50A-4BB0-A382-697DCD729B80}')
FOLDERID_Profile         = GUID('{5E6C858F-0E22-4760-9AFE-EA3317B67173}')
FOLDERID_Public          = GUID('{DFDF76A2-C82A-4D63-906A-5644AC457385}')
FOLDERID_ProgramData     = GUID('{62AB5D82-FDC1-4DC3-A9DD-070D1D495D97}')
FOLDERID_ProgramFiles    = GUID('{905e63b6-c1bf-494e-b29c-65b732d3d21a}')
FOLDERID_ProgramFilesX64 = GUID('{6D809377-6AF0-444b-8957-A3773F02200E}')
FOLDERID_ProgramFilesX86 = GUID('{7C5A40EF-A0FB-4BFC-874A-C0F2E0B9FA8E}')
FOLDERID_ProgramFilesCommon    = GUID('{F7F1ED05-9F6D-47A2-AAAE-29D317C6F066}')
FOLDERID_ProgramFilesCommonX64 = GUID('{6365D5A7-0F0D-45E5-87F6-0DA56B6A4F7D}')
FOLDERID_ProgramFilesCommonX86 = GUID('{DE974D24-D9C6-4D3E-BF91-F4455120B917}')

# common
FOLDERID_PublicDesktop   = GUID('{C4AA340D-F20F-4863-AFEF-F87EF2E6BA25}')
FOLDERID_PublicDocuments = GUID('{ED4824AF-DCE4-45A8-81E2-FC7965083634}')
FOLDERID_PublicDownloads = GUID('{3D644C9B-1FB8-4f30-9B45-F670235F79C0}')
FOLDERID_PublicMusic     = GUID('{3214FAB5-9757-4298-BB61-92A9DEAA44FF}')
FOLDERID_PublicPictures  = GUID('{B6EBFB86-6907-413C-9AF7-4FC2ABF07CC5}')
FOLDERID_PublicVideos    = GUID('{2400183A-6185-49FB-A2D8-4A392A602BA3}')
FOLDERID_CommonStartMenu = GUID('{A4115719-D62E-491D-AA7C-E74B8BE3B067}')
FOLDERID_CommonPrograms  = GUID('{0139D44E-6AFE-49F2-8690-3DAFCAE6FFB8}')
FOLDERID_CommonStartup   = GUID('{82A5EA35-D9CD-47C5-9629-E15D2F714E6E}')
FOLDERID_CommonTemplates = GUID('{B94237E7-57AC-4347-9151-B08C6C32D1F7}')

# peruser
FOLDERID_Desktop          = GUID('{B4BFCC3A-DB2C-424C-B029-7FE99A87C641}')
FOLDERID_Documents        = GUID('{FDD39AD0-238F-46AF-ADB4-6C85480369C7}')
FOLDERID_Downloads        = GUID('{374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B}')
FOLDERID_Music            = GUID('{4BD8D571-6D19-48D3-BE97-422220080E43}')
FOLDERID_Pictures         = GUID('{33E28130-4E1E-4676-835A-98395C3BC3BB}')
FOLDERID_Videos           = GUID('{18989B1D-99B5-455B-841C-AB7C74E4DDFC}')
FOLDERID_LocalAppData     = GUID('{F1B32785-6FBA-4FCF-9D55-7B8E7F157091}')
FOLDERID_LocalAppDataLow  = GUID('{A520A1A4-1780-4FF6-BD18-167343C5AF16}')
FOLDERID_RoamingAppData   = GUID('{3EB685DB-65F9-4CF6-A03A-E3EF65729F3D}')
FOLDERID_StartMenu        = GUID('{625B53C3-AB48-4EC1-BA1F-A1EF4146FC19}')
FOLDERID_Programs         = GUID('{A77F5D77-2E2B-44C3-A6A2-ABA601054A51}')
FOLDERID_Startup          = GUID('{B97D20BB-F46A-4C97-BA10-5E3608430854}')
FOLDERID_Templates        = GUID('{A63293E8-664E-48DB-A079-DF759E0509F7}')
FOLDERID_UserProgramFiles = GUID('{5CD7AEE2-2219-4A67-B85D-6C9CE15660CB}')

# virtual
FOLDERID_AppsFolder       = GUID('{1e87508d-89c2-42f0-8a7e-645a0f50ca58}')

# win32com defines most of these, except the ones added in Windows 8.
FOLDERID_AccountPictures  = GUID('{008ca0b1-55b4-4c56-b8a8-4de4b299d3be}')
FOLDERID_CameraRoll       = GUID('{AB5FB87B-7CE2-4F83-915D-550846C9537B}')
FOLDERID_PublicUserTiles  = GUID('{0482af6c-08f1-4c34-8c90-e17ec98b1e17}')
FOLDERID_RoamedTileImages = GUID('{AAA8D5A5-F1D6-4259-BAA8-78E7EF60835E}')
FOLDERID_RoamingTiles     = GUID('{00BCFC5A-ED94-4e48-96A1-3F6217F21990}')
FOLDERID_Screenshots      = GUID('{b7bede81-df94-4682-a7d8-57a52620b86f}')
FOLDERID_SearchHistory    = GUID('{0D4C3DB6-03A3-462F-A0E6-08924C41B5D4}')
FOLDERID_SearchTemplates  = GUID('{7E636BFE-DFA9-4D5E-B456-D7B39851D8A9}')
FOLDERID_ApplicationShortcuts = GUID('{A3918781-E5F2-4890-B3D9-A7E54332328C}')
FOLDERID_HomeGroupCurrentUser = GUID('{9B74B6A3-0DFD-4f11-9E78-5F7800F2E772}')
FOLDERID_SkyDrive             = GUID('{A52BBA46-E9E1-435f-B3D9-28DAA648C0F6}')
FOLDERID_SkyDriveCameraRoll   = GUID('{767E6811-49CB-4273-87C2-20F355E1085B}')
FOLDERID_SkyDriveDocuments    = GUID('{24D89E24-2F19-4534-9DDE-6A6671FBB8FE}')
FOLDERID_SkyDrivePictures     = GUID('{339719B5-8C47-4894-94C2-D8F77ADD44A6}')

class SimpleNamespace(object):
    def __init__(self, **kwds):
        vars(self).update(kwds)
    def __dir__(self):
        return [x for x in sorted(vars(self)) if not x.startswith('__')]

FOLDERID = SimpleNamespace(
    # fixed
    Windows = FOLDERID_Windows,
    System = FOLDERID_System,
    SystemX86 = FOLDERID_SystemX86,
    Fonts = FOLDERID_Fonts,
    ResourceDir = FOLDERID_ResourceDir,
    UserProfiles = FOLDERID_UserProfiles,
    Profile = FOLDERID_Profile,
    Public = FOLDERID_Public,
    ProgramData = FOLDERID_ProgramData,
    ProgramFiles = FOLDERID_ProgramFiles,
    ProgramFilesX64 = FOLDERID_ProgramFilesX64,
    ProgramFilesX86 = FOLDERID_ProgramFilesX86,
    ProgramFilesCommon = FOLDERID_ProgramFilesCommon,
    ProgramFilesCommonX64 = FOLDERID_ProgramFilesCommonX64,
    ProgramFilesCommonX86 = FOLDERID_ProgramFilesCommonX86,
    # common
    PublicDesktop=FOLDERID_PublicDesktop,
    PublicDocuments=FOLDERID_PublicDocuments,
    PublicDownloads=FOLDERID_PublicDownloads,
    PublicMusic=FOLDERID_PublicMusic,
    PublicPictures=FOLDERID_PublicPictures,
    PublicVideos=FOLDERID_PublicVideos,
    CommonStartMenu=FOLDERID_CommonStartMenu,
    CommonPrograms=FOLDERID_CommonPrograms,
    CommonStartup=FOLDERID_CommonStartup,
    CommonTemplates=FOLDERID_CommonTemplates,
    # user
    Desktop=FOLDERID_Desktop,
    Documents=FOLDERID_Documents,
    Downloads=FOLDERID_Downloads,
    Music=FOLDERID_Music,
    Pictures=FOLDERID_Pictures,
    Videos=FOLDERID_Videos,
    LocalAppData=FOLDERID_LocalAppData,
    LocalAppDataLow=FOLDERID_LocalAppDataLow,
    RoamingAppData=FOLDERID_RoamingAppData,
    StartMenu=FOLDERID_StartMenu,
    Programs=FOLDERID_Programs,
    Startup=FOLDERID_Startup,
    Templates=FOLDERID_Templates,
    UserProgramFiles=FOLDERID_UserProgramFiles,
    # virtual
    AppsFolder=FOLDERID_AppsFolder,
    AccountPictures=FOLDERID_AccountPictures,
    CameraRoll=FOLDERID_CameraRoll,
    PublicUserTiles=FOLDERID_PublicUserTiles,
    RoamedTileImages=FOLDERID_RoamedTileImages,
    RoamingTiles=FOLDERID_RoamingTiles,
    Screenshots=FOLDERID_Screenshots,
    SearchHistory=FOLDERID_SearchHistory,
    SearchTemplates=FOLDERID_SearchTemplates,
    ApplicationShortcuts=FOLDERID_ApplicationShortcuts,
    HomeGroupCurrentUser=FOLDERID_HomeGroupCurrentUser,
    SkyDrive=FOLDERID_SkyDrive,
    SkyDriveCameraRoll=FOLDERID_SkyDriveCameraRoll,
    SkyDriveDocuments=FOLDERID_SkyDriveDocuments,
    SkyDrivePictures=FOLDERID_SkyDrivePictures,
)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    for fid in dir(FOLDERID):
        try:
            path = get_known_folder_path(getattr(FOLDERID, fid))
            print("%s = %s" % (fid, path))
        except OSError:
            pass

Example:

import os
import shutil
from knownfolders import *

all_users = True

filename = 'userid.py'
module_path = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))

if all_users:
    startup_path = get_known_folder_path(FOLDERID.CommonStartup)
else:
    startup_path = get_known_folder_path(FOLDERID.Startup)

src = os.path.join(module_path, filename)
dst = os.path.join(startup_path, filename)

shutil.copyfile(src, dst)

Answer 2

os.rename("$s/userid.py", "%s/Videos/userid.py")  % ('os.getcwd()', '%userid')

%userid will only give you userid, you need to specify the full path. Also note $s you have used, it should instead be %s.

Please note both the directories should exist beforehand. While the file in the destination directory shouldn't.

Also you can use the shutil.move() for the same.