Files & data
Read and write files safely; parse JSON, CSV, and common text formats.
Generate Timesheet Reports from Daily Logs in Python
Aggregate daily log entries by project and produce a formatted timesheet report using Python's standard library.
import json
from pathlib import Path
from collections import defaultdict
def generate_timesheet_report(daily_logs: list[dict]) -> str:
"""
Generate a timesheet report from daily log entries.
Args:
daily_logs: List of dicts with 'date', 'project', 'hours', 'task' keys
Returns:
…Generate a Beautiful Folder Tree Visualization in Python
A Python utility that creates a visual tree of a directory structure, excluding common files, with configurable depth.
import os
from pathlib import Path
class FolderTree:
def __init__(self, root_path=".", ignore_list=None, max_depth=3):
self.root = Path(root_path)
self.ignore = set(ignore_list or [".git", "__pycache__", ".DS_Store"])
self.max_depth = max_depth
def generate(self):
tree…How to Archive Old Files by Age in Python
Move files older than a specified number of days from a source directory to an archive directory using Python's pathlib and shutil modules.
import os
import shutil
import time
from pathlib import Path
def archive_old_files(source_dir: str, archive_dir: str, days_old: int) -> None:
cutoff_time = time.time() - (days_old * 86400) # 86400 seconds in a day
archive_path = Path(archive_dir)
archive_path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
for i…How to Atomically Write Files in Python with Temp File and Rename
Write a file atomically using a temporary file and os.replace so readers never see partial writes even if the process crashes mid-write.
import os
import tempfile
from pathlib import Path
def atomic_write(path: str | Path, content: str) -> None:
"""Write content to path atomically using a temp file and rename."""
path = Path(path)
path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
fd, temp_path = tempfile.mkstemp(
dir=str(path.par…How to Audit Environment Variable Files for Missing Values in Python
A Python tool that reads an environment variable file and reports any variables with empty or missing values.
import os
import re
from pathlib import Path
def audit_env_file(filepath: str) -> None:
"""
Audit an environment variable file for missing values.
Prints file status and lists variables that have empty values.
"""
path = Path(filepath)
if not path.exists():
print(f"Error: File '{filepa…How to Automatically Extract Every Archive in a Folder with Python
Walk through a folder and extract all ZIP, RAR, and 7Z archives into separate subdirectories using Python.
import zipfile
import rarfile
import py7zr
import pathlib
def extract_archives(folder: str):
"""Extract every ZIP, RAR, and 7Z archive in the given folder."""
folder_path = pathlib.Path(folder)
for archive_file in folder_path.iterdir():
suffix = archive_file.suffix.lower()
try:
…How to Automatically Merge Hundreds of Excel Files Without Losing Formatting in Python
Merge all .xlsx files in a folder into a single Excel workbook, preserving individual sheet structures with sheet name prefixes.
import pandas as pd
from pathlib import Path
def merge_excel_files(folder_path: str, output_path: str) -> None:
"""
Merge all .xlsx files in a folder into a single Excel file,
preserving individual sheet structures.
"""
folder = Path(folder_path)
excel_files = list(folder.glob("*.xlsx"))
…How to Build a CSV Comparison Tool That Highlights Every Changed Cell in Python
Read two CSV files with DictReader, compare cell by cell, and return a list of dictionaries describing each changed cell using only the standard library.
import csv
from pathlib import Path
def csv_cell_diff(file_a: str, file_b: str) -> list[dict]:
rows_a = list(csv.DictReader(Path(file_a).open('r', newline='')))
rows_b = list(csv.DictReader(Path(file_b).open('r', newline='')))
if not rows_a or not rows_b:
return []
columns = list(rows_a[0].key…How to Compress a String to Gzip Bytes in Python
Compress a string into gzip-compressed bytes entirely in memory using the standard library gzip module.
import gzip
def compress_to_gzip_bytes(data: str, encoding: str = "utf-8") -> bytes:
"""Compress a string to gzip-compressed bytes in memory."""
return gzip.compress(data.encode(encoding))
if __name__ == "__main__":
original = "Hello, world! " * 10
compressed = compress_to_gzip_bytes(original)
pr…How to Convert CSV Column Types While Reading in Python
Read a CSV file and automatically convert column values to int, float, str, or bool based on type suffixes in the header names.
import csv
from pathlib import Path
from typing import Any
def read_csv_with_types(filepath: str) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
"""Read CSV and convert column types based on header suffixes."""
converters = {
"int": int,
"float": float,
"str": str,
"bool": lambda v: v.strip().lower(…How to Convert Images Between Formats in Python
Use the Pillow library to open an image from one file format and save it to another, with error handling for missing files or conversion issues.
from PIL import Image
import sys
def convert_image_format(input_path, output_path):
try:
img = Image.open(input_path)
img.save(output_path)
print(f"Converted {input_path} to {output_path}")
except FileNotFoundError:
print(f"Error: File {input_path} not found")
sys.exit(…How to Copy a File with shutil.copy2 in Python
Copy a file while preserving metadata like timestamps and permissions using Python's shutil.copy2 and pathlib.
import shutil
from pathlib import Path
source = Path("sample.txt")
destination = Path("sample_copy.txt")
source.write_text("Hello, PythonSkillset!")
if __name__ == "__main__":
shutil.copy2(source, destination)
copied = destination.read_text()
print(f"Copied content: {copied}")
print(f"Source exists:…How to Decompress a gzip File in Python
This code provides a function to decompress a .gz file, writing the decompressed content to a new file and returning the text, using the gzip standard library module.
import gzip
from pathlib import Path
def decompress_gzip(filepath: str, output_path: str | None = None) -> str:
"""Decompress a .gz file and return the decompressed content."""
input_path = Path(filepath)
if output_path is None:
output_path = str(input_path.with_suffix(""))
with gzip.open…How to Delete a File if it Exists in Python
Delete a file safely in Python using pathlib's Path.unlink, checking existence first to avoid errors.
from pathlib import Path
def delete_file_if_exists(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Delete a file if it exists. Returns True if deleted, False if not found."""
path = Path(file_path)
if path.exists():
path.unlink()
print(f"Deleted: {path}")
return True
else:
print(f"File not…How to Detect File Encoding: UTF-8 vs Latin-1 in Python
Detect whether a file is UTF-8 or Latin-1 encoded by attempting a UTF-8 decode and falling back to Latin-1.
import sys
def detect_encoding(file_path):
with open(file_path, 'rb') as f:
raw = f.read()
try:
raw.decode('utf-8')
return 'UTF-8'
except UnicodeDecodeError:
return 'latin1'
if __name__ == "__main__":
file_path = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else 'sample.txt'
…How to Extract Text from PDF Files in Python
Extract all readable text from a PDF file using PyPDF2, iterating over each page and concatenating the content.
import PyPDF2
def extract_text_from_pdf(pdf_path):
text = ""
with open(pdf_path, "rb") as file:
reader = PyPDF2.PdfReader(file)
for page in reader.pages:
text += page.extract_text() + "\n"
return text.strip()
if __name__ == "__main__":
pdf_path = "sample.pdf"
extracted…How to Filter CSV Rows by Column Value in Python
Filter CSV rows based on a column value condition using the standard csv module and a lambda function.
import csv
def filter_csv(input_file, output_file, column, condition):
with open(input_file, newline='', encoding='utf-8') as infile, \
open(output_file, 'w', newline='', encoding='utf-8') as outfile:
reader = csv.DictReader(infile)
fieldnames = reader.fieldnames
writer = csv.Dict…How to Filter Files by Extension and Size in Python
Use pathlib to list files in a directory, filter by extension or minimum size, and return matching names or (name, size) pairs.
from pathlib import Path
def filter_files_by_extension(directory: str, extension: str) -> list:
"""Return a list of file names in directory with the given extension."""
path = Path(directory)
return [f.name for f in path.iterdir() if f.is_file() and f.suffix == extension]
def filter_files_by_size(directo…How to Find Duplicate Files by Size and Hash in Python
Recursively scan a directory, group files by size, then hash candidates to identify exact duplicate files.
import hashlib
from pathlib import Path
def hash_file(path, chunk_size=8192):
hasher = hashlib.md5()
with open(path, 'rb') as f:
while chunk := f.read(chunk_size):
hasher.update(chunk)
return hasher.hexdigest()
def find_duplicates(directory):
size_map = {}
for path in Path(dir…How to Find Files by Extension in Python
This code walks a directory tree with pathlib, collects all file paths, and counts them by extension to summarize a project's contents.
from pathlib import Path
def get_project_files(base_path="."):
"""Return a sorted list of all file paths under base_path."""
base = Path(base_path)
files = [p for p in base.rglob("*") if p.is_file()]
return sorted(files)
def count_by_extension(files):
"""Return a dict mapping extension (lowercase…How to Generate Beautiful QR Codes with Embedded Logos in Python
Generate a high-error-correction QR code and paste a logo image in the center to create a branded, scannable QR code.
import qrcode
from PIL import Image
def generate_qr_with_logo(data, logo_path, output_path):
qr = qrcode.QRCode(
version=1,
error_correction=qrcode.constants.ERROR_CORRECT_H,
box_size=10,
border=4,
)
qr.add_data(data)
qr.make(fit=True)
qr_img = qr.make_image(fill_c…How to Generate an Inventory Report of All Files in Python
Walk a directory tree, collect metadata for every file, and write a CSV inventory report using Python's os, pathlib, and csv modules.
import os
import csv
from pathlib import Path
from datetime import datetime
def generate_inventory_report(root_dir: str = "/", output_file: str = "inventory_report.csv"):
headers = ["File Path", "Size (bytes)", "Last Modified", "File Type"]
rows = []
start_time = datetime.now()
for dirpath, dirna…How to Group Files by Extension in Python
Group file names by their file extension using a dictionary and pathlib, producing a simple clear mapping for beginners.
from pathlib import Path
def group_data_by_extension(files: list[Path]) -> dict[str, list[str]]:
"""Group file names by their extension."""
grouped: dict[str, list[str]] = {}
for file in files:
ext = file.suffix.lower()
grouped.setdefault(ext, []).append(file.name)
return grouped
if…How to List File Information in a Directory with Python
A helper that walks a directory and returns each file's name, size, and extension as a list of dictionaries.
from pathlib import Path
def get_files_data(directory: str) -> list[dict]:
"""Return basic info about all files in a directory."""
files = []
for path in Path(directory).iterdir():
if path.is_file():
files.append({
"name": path.name,
"size": path.stat()…Browse by section
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