Copy And Replace Files in Python

In Python, copying and replacing files is a common task facilitated by modules like `shutil` and `os`. This process involves copying a source file to a destination location while potentially replacing any existing file with the same name. Leveraging functions like `shutil.copy2` and `os.remove`, this operation is crucial for updating or maintaining file versions. In this article, we will see how to copy and replace files in Python.

Copy And Replace Files In Python

Below are some of the ways by which we can copy and replace files in Python:

• Using shutil.copy2 and os.remove() Function
• Using shutil.move() Function

Python Copy And Replace Files Using shutil.copy2 and os.remove() Function

In this example, the `copy_and_replace` function is defined to copy a source file to a destination location, replacing any existing file at the destination. The paths of the source and destination files are specified, and the function is then called to execute the copy and replace operation.

Python3

import shutil
import os

def copy_and_replace(source_path, destination_path):
    if os.path.exists(destination_path):
        os.remove(destination_path)
    shutil.copy2(source_path, destination_path)

# Source and destination file paths
source_file = 'path/to/source_file.txt'
destination_file = 'path/to/destination_file.txt'

# Copy and replace
copy_and_replace(source_file, destination_file)

Output:

Copy And Replace Files In Python Using shutil.move()

In this example, the `copy_and_replace` function takes a source file path and a destination directory. It extracts the filename from the source path, constructs the destination path within the specified directory, removes any existing file with the same name, then moves the source file to the destination, effectively copying and replacing it. The example usage copies the 'main.py' file to the 'dummy' directory, providing a print confirmation upon successful completion.

Python3

import shutil
import os

def copy_and_replace(source_file, destination_directory):
    filename = os.path.basename(source_file)
    destination_path = os.path.join(destination_directory, filename)
    if os.path.exists(destination_path):
        os.remove(destination_path)
    shutil.move(source_file, destination_path)
    print(f"File '{filename}' copied and replaced successfully.")

# Example usage:
source_file_path = 'main.py'
destination_directory = 'dummy'

copy_and_replace(source_file_path, destination_directory)

Output: