Python - making copies of a file

Question

I have a file that I want copied into a directory multiple times. It could be 100, it could be 1000. That's a variable.

I came up with this:

import shutil

count = 0
while (count < 100):
    shutil.copy2('/Users/bubble/Desktop/script.py', '/Users/bubble/Desktop/pics')
    count = count + 1

It puts 1 copy of the file in the directory, but only 1 file. My guess is that it doesn't automatically add a 2,3,4,5 etc onto the end of the file as it would if you were copying and pasting.

Any ideas how to do this?

Regards.

You do not change the file name so it is overridding. – zhangyangyu Jul 27 '13 at 10:42 — zhangyangyu, Jul 27 '13 at 10:42

score 13 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 17 '17 at 00:48

13

Use str.format:

import shutil

for i in range(100):
    shutil.copy2('/Users/bubble/Desktop/script.py', '/Users/bubble/Desktop/pics/script{}.py'.format(i))

To make it even more useful, one can add the format specifier {:03d} (3 digit numbers, i.e. 001, 002 etc.) or {:04d} (4 digit numbers, i.e. 0001, 0002 etc.) according to their needs as suggested by @Roland Smith.

edited Dec 17 '17 at 00:48

Srivatsan

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answered Jul 27 '13 at 10:41

falsetru

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You might want to use the format specifier `{:03d}`. That way the files would be listed in the correct order. – Roland Smith Jul 27 '13 at 10:45
Thanks Roland. I'll test that out now. – BubbleMonster Jul 27 '13 at 10:48

Python - making copies of a file

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