How to use shutil.rmtree without specifying a path

Question

How can I get shutil.rmtree() to run on the folder it is in? I know I can just give it the path but I want it to be dynamic so I can move it across folders and it will still run without having to edit the path.

I haven't tried anything because I don't know what to try.

Do you mean the current working directory or the directory the current file is in? See http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3430372/how-to-get-full-path-of-current-files-directory-in-python to get the path dynamically — Henry Heath, Dec 14 '16 at 15:15
can you elaborate on the purpose of this code? looks like a malware to me... — Jean-François Fabre, Dec 14 '16 at 15:22
to save time when i need to delete a load of things. like most programs? — , Dec 15 '16 at 13:29

Henry Heath · Answer 1 · 2016-12-14T15:19:53.083

0

Get the path of the directory the current file is in dynamically. Note this will delete the current file too!

import os
import shutil

path = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
shutil.rmtree(path)

edited Dec 14 '16 at 15:19

answered Dec 14 '16 at 15:12

Henry Heath

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score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 16 '18 at 14:35

The simplest solution would be just these two lines of code.

import shutil
shutil.rmtree('./')

It deletes the content of the current folder, and itself.

Note. Be careful with this, as with my experience running this, the files do not appear in the recycle bin.

^{I cannot be liable for any unwanted loss of files.}

How to use shutil.rmtree without specifying a path

2 Answers2