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How to Recover Deleted .txt Files from a Backup in Python
A Python function that searches a backup directory recursively and copies all .txt files to a destination folder, printing each recovered file name and a total count.
import os
import shutil
from pathlib import Path
def recover_deleted_txt_files(source_backup_dir: str, destination_dir: str) -> None:
"""Recover .txt files from backup directory."""
backup_path = Path(source_backup_dir)
dest_path = Path(destination_dir)
dest_path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
…How to Resize Hundreds of Images in Batch with Python
Resize every image in a folder to a target size using Pillow, creating a new subfolder for processed files.
import os
from PIL import Image
def resize_images_in_batch(directory, output_size=(800, 600)):
if not os.path.exists(directory):
print(f"Directory {directory} does not exist.")
return
output_dir = os.path.join(directory, "resized")
os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)
for filename in…How to Save a VM Snapshot State to a JSON File in Python
Define a dataclass for a VM snapshot and serialize it to a JSON file, then reload it to verify the state.
import json
from dataclasses import dataclass, asdict
from pathlib import Path
@dataclass
class VMSnapshot:
name: str
memory_mb: int
disk_gb: int
state: str = "saved"
def snapshot_to_file(self, path: Path) -> str:
"""Write snapshot state to a JSON file and return the filename."""
…How to Scan Files Against a Malware Hash List in Python
Compare a file's SHA-256 hash against a known malware hash set and report whether it's clean or infected.
import hashlib
from pathlib import Path
# Mock file content (in real usage, read from disk)
MOCK_FILE_CONTENT = b"print('hello world')"
KNOWN_MALWARE_HASHES = {
"8d969eef6ecad3c29a3a629280e686cf0c3f5d5a86aff3ca12020c923adc6c92",
"5e884898da28047151d0e56f8dc6292773603d0d6aabbdd62a11ef721d1542d8",
}
def sha25…How to Tail and Colorize Error Lines in Python
Reads the last N lines of a log file and prints error lines in red using ANSI color codes.
import sys
import time
from pathlib import Path
def tail_colorize(filename: str, lines: int = 20) -> None:
"""Read last N lines of a file, printing errors in red."""
path = Path(filename)
if not path.exists():
print(f"File '{filename}' not found.", file=sys.stderr)
return
# Read last …How to Watch a Folder and Convert New Images in Python
Watch a folder for new files and mock-convert images by copying and renaming them in an output directory.
import time
import hashlib
from pathlib import Path
from datetime import datetime
def mock_convert_image(source: Path, dest_dir: Path) -> Path:
"""Mock image conversion: copy bytes and add .converted suffix."""
dest = dest_dir / f"{source.stem}.converted{source.suffix}"
dest.write_bytes(source.read_bytes(…How to automatically organize your Downloads folder by file type in Python
This script scans the Downloads folder and moves files into sub-folders based on their extensions (e.g., Images, Documents, Videos).
import os
import shutil
from pathlib import Path
def organize_downloads_folder(downloads_path=None):
if downloads_path is None:
downloads_path = str(Path.home() / "Downloads")
if not os.path.exists(downloads_path):
print(f"Path {downloads_path} does not exist.")
return
fi…How to rename music files by ID3 tags in Python
Renames MP3 files in a folder using artist and title extracted from ID3 tags, with a mock fallback that parses filenames.
import os
import re
from pathlib import Path
def sanitize_filename(name: str) -> str:
return re.sub(r'[<>:"/\\|?*]', '_', name).strip()
def rename_mp3_from_id3(path: Path) -> None:
for f in path.glob("*.mp3"):
# Mock ID3 extraction: derive artist/title from filename
stem = f.stem
if "…Rename Files in Folder with Numeric Prefix in Python
Renames all files in a folder by adding a sequential numeric prefix (e.g., 01_, 02_) to each filename using pathlib.
from pathlib import Path
def rename_with_numeric_prefix(folder_path):
folder = Path(folder_path)
for index, file_path in enumerate(folder.iterdir(), start=1):
if file_path.is_file():
new_name = f"{index:02d}_{file_path.name}"
new_path = file_path.with_name(new_name)
…Rotate API keys in Python by updating an .env template
Replace an old API key with a new one inside an .env template file, with a guard for missing keys.
import json
from pathlib import Path
def rotate_api_keys(env_template_path: Path, old_key: str, new_key: str) -> None:
"""Replace an old API key with a new one in an .env template file."""
content = env_template_path.read_text()
if old_key not in content:
print(f"Error: '{old_key}' not found in {e…How to Partition Output Files by Date Key in Python
Group output files into a dictionary partitioned by a YYYYMMDD date key extracted from the filename prefix.
from pathlib import Path
from collections import defaultdict
def partition_files_by_date(directory: str) -> dict:
"""Partition output files by date key extracted from filename (YYYYMMDD prefix)."""
path = Path(directory)
partitions = defaultdict(list)
for file in path.iterdir():
if file.i…How to create a dated snapshot path for a dataset in Python
Generate a versioned directory path combining a base directory, dataset name, and today's date, ready for creating snapshots in data pipelines.
import datetime
import os
from pathlib import Path
def snapshot_path(base_dir: str, dataset_name: str) -> Path:
"""Return a dated snapshot path for a dataset under a base directory."""
today = datetime.date.today().isoformat()
return Path(base_dir) / dataset_name / today
if __name__ == "__main__":
…Trigger a Pipeline When a New File Appears in a Directory
Poll a directory every 0.5 seconds and return the name of the first new file that appears, or None after a timeout.
import time
from pathlib import Path
def watch_for_file(directory: str, interval: float = 0.5, timeout: float = 10.0) -> str | None:
"""Poll a directory and trigger when a new file appears."""
watch_dir = Path(directory)
watch_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
known_files = set(watch_dir.iterdir())
s…How to List Changed Files in the Last Git Commit with Python
Runs `git diff --name-only HEAD~1 HEAD` via subprocess to list the names of files changed in the most recent commit.
import subprocess
def list_changed_files():
result = subprocess.run(
["git", "diff", "--name-only", "HEAD~1", "HEAD"],
capture_output=True,
text=True,
check=True
)
files = result.stdout.strip().splitlines()
return files
if __name__ == "__main__":
changed = list_cha…How to Mock Git Clean Dry Run in Python
Simulate the output of `git clean -n` in Python to preview which untracked files would be removed without actually deleting them.
import subprocess
import sys
def mock_git_clean_dry_run(untracked_files):
"""Simulate `git clean -n` for a given list of untracked files."""
if not untracked_files:
print("No untracked files to remove.")
return
print("Would remove:")
for file in untracked_files:
print(f" {fil…How to Mock Git Worktree Creation in Python
Create a mock Git worktree setup with parallel branch directories and state files for testing or simulation.
import os
import tempfile
from pathlib import Path
def create_mock_worktree(base_dir: Path, branches: list[str]) -> dict[str, Path]:
"""
Mock Git worktree creation: creates parallel directories for each branch
under the base directory, simulating independent worktrees.
"""
worktrees = {}
for b…How to Stage All Modified Files with git add -u in Python
Runs git add -u from Python to stage all modified and deleted tracked files, then prints the short status.
import subprocess
def stage_all_modified_files(repo_path="."):
"""Run git add -u to stage all modified and deleted tracked files."""
result = subprocess.run(
["git", "add", "-u"],
cwd=repo_path,
capture_output=True,
text=True,
)
if result.returncode != 0:
print…Create a Data Helper Class for Beginners in Python
A simple Python class to read and write JSON and CSV files from a local directory, ideal for automating data workflows in cloud environments.
import json
from pathlib import Path
class DataHelper:
"""Simple helper for reading and writing common data files."""
def __init__(self, directory="data"):
self.directory = Path(directory)
self.directory.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
def save_json(self, filename, data):
filepath =…How to Build a Multi-Cloud Config Loader with Provider Switching in Python
Load cloud provider configurations (AWS, Azure, GCP) from JSON files using a provider dispatch pattern in Python.
import json
from pathlib import Path
from dataclasses import dataclass
from typing import Dict, Any
@dataclass
class CloudConfig:
provider: str
region: str
settings: Dict[str, Any]
class ConfigLoader:
def __init__(self, config_dir: str = "configs"):
self.config_dir = Path(config_dir)
…How to Create a JSON Data Helper in Python
A beginner-friendly DataHelper class that safely reads and writes JSON files with timestamps to a local data directory.
from datetime import datetime
from pathlib import Path
import json
class DataHelper:
"""Simple helper for reading/writing JSON files safely."""
def __init__(self, base_dir="data"):
self.base_dir = Path(base_dir)
self.base_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
def save(self, filename, data):
…Data Conversion Helper Functions in Python
A set of beginner-friendly helper functions to convert between JSON strings and Python data, parse dates, and read/write files using pathlib.
from datetime import datetime
from pathlib import Path
import json
def to_json(data, indent=2):
"""Convert Python data to pretty-printed JSON string."""
return json.dumps(data, indent=indent, default=str)
def from_json(json_string):
"""Parse JSON string back into Python data."""
return json.loads(jso…How to Format Data with Python's datetime and JSON Helpers
A beginner-friendly set of helper functions to format dates and safely read/write JSON files in Python.
from datetime import datetime
from pathlib import Path
import json
def format_today(pattern: str = "%Y-%m-%d") -> str:
"""Return today's date formatted with the given pattern."""
return datetime.now().strftime(pattern)
def load_json(file_path: str) -> dict:
"""Read and parse a JSON file safely."""
…How to Load and Inspect Data Files in Python
A beginner-friendly DataLoader dataclass that loads JSON or text files and provides methods to preview and inspect the data.
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from pathlib import Path
import json
from typing import Any, Dict, List
@dataclass
class DataLoader:
"""Simple helper to load and inspect data files for beginners."""
path: Path
data: Any = field(init=False, default=None)
def __post_init__(self) -> None:
…How to Load and Save CSV and JSON Files in Python
A beginner-friendly data helper that loads or saves CSV and JSON files using only the Python standard library, with automatic format detection from the file extension.
from pathlib import Path
import json
import csv
def load_data(file_path):
"""Load CSV or JSON data from disk based on file extension."""
path = Path(file_path)
if path.suffix == ".json":
with path.open() as f:
return json.load(f)
elif path.suffix == ".csv":
with path.open(…Browse by section
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