Simple Python program used to shift files from a "source folder" to a "destination folder" for storage.

• 1. Description
• 2. Getting started
  • 2.1 Dependencies
  • 2.2 Installing
  • 2.3 Executing program
• 3. Version history

shift_files.py is intended to simplify the workflow of moving files and folders from a "source folder" to a "destination folder" by mimicking the structure of the "source folder" into the structure of the "destination folder". This software might be useful to quickly and automatically move files to from a computer to an external hard drive on which they will be stored.

The python program copy_folders_structure.py can initially be used to copy the folders structure (i.e. all the folders but empty of any files) of an external hard drive for example. This can be done by typing following command at the root of this project:

python3.7 copy_folders_structure.py --src absolute/path/to/source/folder --clonedStructure absolute/path/to/folder/in/which/the/folders/structure/will/be/cloned

The folders situated in the "source folder" remain in place, but their files are shifted (i.e. moved) in the "destination folder" in case they are not already existing in the "destination folder". If a file needed to be shift from the "source folder" to the "destination folder" already exists in the "destination folder", it is left in place in the "source folder" and its absolute path is reported in the log text file logAlreadyExistingFiles.txt eventually created in the parent directory of the "source folder". In case an element of the "source folder" is not a file nor a folder, then it is left in place in the "source folder" and its absolute path is reported in logNonFiles.txt (eventually created in the parent directory of the "source folder"). Finally all the files that have been successfully shifted from the "source folder" to the "destination folder" are reported in logAllFiles.txt (eventually created in the parent directory of the "source folder").

The program basically goes through each file and each folder (and each file in each subfolder) of the "source folder" and behaves as follows:

• If the current folder doesn't exist in the subfolder of the "destination folder", then it creates it and moves its whole content (i.e. each of its files and folders) in that new folder; otherwise it simply moves each of the files (and folders in case they don't already exist) in the corresponding folder of the "destination folder".
• If the file doesn't already exist in the "destination folder", it simply moves it in the "destination folder"; otherwise, it leaves it in place in the "source folder" and report its absolute path in logAlreadyExistingFiles.txt (eventually created in the parent directory of the "source folder").

• Tested on macOS Catalina version 10.15.7
• Python 3.7

pip install -r requirements.txt

A simple test with the default "source folder" and "destination folder" can be done by typing following Terminal command at the root of the project:

python3.7 shift_files.py

Following Terminal command uses argument parsing and allows to select any source and destination folders by specifying their absolute path:

python3.7 shift_files.py --src absolute/path/to/source/folder --dest absolute/path/to/destination/folder

Example:

python3.7 shift_files.py --src /Users/anthony/Dropbox/Camera\ Uploads/_PC-ALL-MY-FILES-Cloned-Structure --dest /Volumes/SSD-8TB/_PC-ALL-MY-FILES

• 0.1
  • Initial release