Automate backup with Python Script

In this article, we are going to see how to automate backup with a Python script.

File backups are essential for preserving your data in local storage. We will use the shutil, os, and sys modules. In this case, the shutil module is used to copy data from one file to another, while the os and sys modules are used to obtain the directory path and so on.

Stepwise Implementation:

Step 1:  Import the following modules

Python3

import shutil
from datetime import date
import os
import sys

Step 2: Let us now get today’s date using the datetime module.

Python3

today = date.today()
date_format = today.strftime("%d_%b_%Y_")

Step 3: If the user specifies the path to the source file, use the line below to concatenate the path to the source file with the name of the source file.

Python3

src_dir = src_dir+src_file_name

If not, and your file is stored in the same directory as your current Python script, use the os module to determine the current path of the file and create the source directory by combining the path provided by the os module with the source file name.

Python3

os.chdir(sys.path[0])

Step 4: If the user does not specify the source file name, we must return a file does not exist error.

Python3

if not src_file_name:
   print("Please give atleast the Source File Name")

Step 5: Now, use the following cases to test the necessary conditions.

If the user provides all of the inputs, such as the source file name, source file path, destination file name, and destination file path.

Python3

if src_file_name and dst_file_name and src_dir and dst_dir:
     src_dir = src_dir+src_file_name
     dst_dir = dst_dir+dst_file_name

If the destination file name is None, which indicates that the user did not specify a destination file name, then use the conditions listed below.

Python3

elif dst_file_name is None or not dst_file_name:
       dst_file_name = src_file_name
       dst_dir = dst_dir+date_format+dst_file_name

If a user enters an empty string with one or more spaces.

Python3

elif dst_file_name.isspace():
      dst_file_name = src_file_name
      dst_dir = dst_dir+date_format+dst_file_name

If the user inputs the backup copy’s name, just concatenate the destination directory, date, and destination file name to create the output file name.

Python3

else:
      dst_dir = dst_dir+date_format+dst_file_name

Step 6: Finally, we simply need to use the shutil function to copy the file to the destination.

Python3

shutil.copy2(src_dir, dst_dir)

Note: If we want to back up the entire folder rather than individual files, we must use the code below.

shutil.copytree(src_file_name, dst_dir)

Below is the full implementation:

Python3

# Import the following modules
import shutil
from datetime import date
import os
import sys

# When there is need, just change the directory
os.chdir(sys.path[0])

# Function for performing the
# backup of the files and folders
def take_backup(src_file_name,
                dst_file_name=None,
                src_dir='',
                dst_dir=''):
    try:

          # Extract the today's date
        today = date.today()
        date_format = today.strftime("%d_%b_%Y_")

        # Make the source directory,
        # where we wanna backup our files
        src_dir = src_dir+src_file_name

        # If user not enter any source file,
        # then just give the error message...
        if not src_file_name:
            print("Please give atleast the Source File Name")
            exit()

        try:

            # If user provides all the inputs
            if src_file_name and dst_file_name and src_dir and dst_dir:
                src_dir = src_dir+src_file_name
                dst_dir = dst_dir+dst_file_name

            # When User Enter Either
            # 'None' or empty String ('')
            elif dst_file_name is None or not dst_file_name:
                dst_file_name = src_file_name
                dst_dir = dst_dir+date_format+dst_file_name

            # When user Enter an empty
            # string with one or more spaces (' ')
            elif dst_file_name.isspace():
                dst_file_name = src_file_name
                dst_dir = dst_dir+date_format+dst_file_name

            # When user Enter an a
            # name for the backup copy
            else:
                dst_dir = dst_dir+date_format+dst_file_name

            # Now, just copy the files
            # from source to destination
            shutil.copy2(src_dir, dst_dir)

            print("Backup Successful!")
        except FileNotFoundError:
            print("File does not exists!,\
            please give the complete path")

    # When we need to backup the folders only...
    except PermissionError:
        dst_dir = dst_dir+date_format+dst_file_name

        # Copy the whole folder
        # from source to destination
        shutil.copytree(src_file_name, dst_dir)

# Call the function
take_backup("GFG.txt")

Output:

Folders BackUp: