python delete all files (recursively) without the folder itself

Question

What's the best way to delete all files and dirs inside a folder without deleting the folder itself using python? Using:

if os.path.exists("path/to/folder"):
    shutil.rmtree("path/to/folder/*")

Won't to the trick since the rmtree() doesn't understand UNIX style (/*). rmtree itself is fine, but it deleted the folder too, which I don't need.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/185936/delete-folder-contents-in-python — Aditya, May 07 '17 at 15:02

thesonyman101 · Answer 1 · 2017-05-07T17:16:18.360

-1

You could just recreate the folder after you delete it.

import os
path = "/home/zach/Desktop"
filename = "django"
if os.path.exists(path):
    os.system("cd %s" %path)
    os.system("rm -rf %s" %filename)
    print("deleted file")
    os.system("mkdir %s" %filename)
    print("created file")
else:
    print("error")

edited May 07 '17 at 17:16

answered May 07 '17 at 17:09

thesonyman101

791
7
16

seems mixed up *file* and *folder*. The code does not check whether the path is a file or a folder. – Raptor Jul 05 '21 at 09:12

python delete all files (recursively) without the folder itself

1 Answers1