Temporary files and trees in Python

Scratch space that cleans itself up, and the tree operations worth knowing.

import shutil
import tempfile
from pathlib import Path

with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as name:
    workspace = Path(name)
    (workspace / "src").mkdir()
    (workspace / "src" / "one.txt").write_text("hello")

    shutil.copytree(workspace / "src", workspace / "copy")
    print(sorted(p.name for p in (workspace / "copy").iterdir()))

    shutil.make_archive(str(workspace / "bundle"), "zip", workspace / "src")
    print((workspace / "bundle.zip").exists())

print(Path(name).exists())

How it works

TemporaryDirectory removes itself at the end of the block.
NamedTemporaryFile has a path other processes can open.
shutil copies, moves and deletes whole trees.

Keywords and builtins used here

as
for
print
sorted
str
with

The run, in numbers

Lines: 16
Characters to type: 465
Tokens: 139
Three-star pace: 105 tpm

At the three-star pace of 105 tokens a minute, this run takes about 79 seconds.

Type this snippet

Step 2 of 4 in Files & archives, step 27 of 41 in Domain tools.

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