cp -r from_dir/* to_dir with python

Question

Is there an easy way to emulate the command cp -r from_dir/* to_dir with python? shutil.copytree is not suitable because to_dir exists.

Answer 1

Have a look at the source code of shutil.copytree, adapt it and use:

def copytree(src, dst, symlinks=False, ignore=None):
    """Recursively copy a directory tree using copy2().

    The destination directory must not already exist.
    If exception(s) occur, an Error is raised with a list of reasons.

    If the optional symlinks flag is true, symbolic links in the
    source tree result in symbolic links in the destination tree; if
    it is false, the contents of the files pointed to by symbolic
    links are copied.

    The optional ignore argument is a callable. If given, it
    is called with the `src` parameter, which is the directory
    being visited by copytree(), and `names` which is the list of
    `src` contents, as returned by os.listdir():

        callable(src, names) -> ignored_names

    Since copytree() is called recursively, the callable will be
    called once for each directory that is copied. It returns a
    list of names relative to the `src` directory that should
    not be copied.

    XXX Consider this example code rather than the ultimate tool.

    """
    names = os.listdir(src)
    if ignore is not None:
        ignored_names = ignore(src, names)
    else:
        ignored_names = set()

    os.makedirs(dst)
    errors = []
    for name in names:
        if name in ignored_names:
            continue
        srcname = os.path.join(src, name)
        dstname = os.path.join(dst, name)
        try:
            if symlinks and os.path.islink(srcname):
                linkto = os.readlink(srcname)
                os.symlink(linkto, dstname)
            elif os.path.isdir(srcname):
                copytree(srcname, dstname, symlinks, ignore)
            else:
                copy2(srcname, dstname)
            # XXX What about devices, sockets etc.?
        except (IOError, os.error), why:
            errors.append((srcname, dstname, str(why)))
        # catch the Error from the recursive copytree so that we can
        # continue with other files
        except Error, err:
            errors.extend(err.args[0])
    try:
        copystat(src, dst)
    except OSError, why:
        if WindowsError is not None and isinstance(why, WindowsError):
            # Copying file access times may fail on Windows
            pass
        else:
            errors.extend((src, dst, str(why)))
    if errors:
        raise Error, errors

Answer 2

you just need to copytree with the correct name (or same name)

shutil.copytree("/path/from_dir","/destination/from_dir")

Answer 3

import glob
import subprocess

subprocess.check_call(["cp", "-rt", "to_dir"] + glob.glob("from_dir/*"))

Sometimes it's nice to do everything directly in Python yourself; then again, it's often nicer to just call the command that you know how to control and know works.

I'd not hesitate to rewrite this if when requirements change, but until then, it's short and readable — more time is better spent on bigger problems. A good example of how they might change is reporting an error: you've not said anything about that, but I wouldn't be parsing cp's output once that's required.