Python – shutil.copyfile() method

November 13, 2021November 13, 2021 User HandleUser Handle

Python | shutil.copyfile() method

 

# Python program to explain shutil.copyfile() method
  
# importing shutil module
import shutil
# Source path
source = "/home/User/Documents/file.txt"
# Destination path
destination = "/home/User/Documents"
# Copy the content of
# source to destination
try:
    shutil.copyfile(source, destination)
    print("File copied successfully.")
# If source and destination are same
except shutil.SameFileError:
    print("Source and destination represents the same file.")
# If destination is a directory.
except IsADirectoryError:
    print("Destination is a directory.")
# If there is any permission issue
except PermissionError:
    print("Permission denied.")
# For other errors
except:
    print("Error occurred while copying file.")

Shutil module in Python provides many functions of high-level operations on files and collections of files. It comes under Python’s standard utility modules. This module helps in automating process of copying and removal of files and directories.
shutil.copyfile() method in Python is used to copy the content of source file to destination file. Metadata of the file is not copied. Source and destination must represent a file and destination must be writable. If destination already exists then it will be replaced with the source file otherwise a new file will be created.
If source and destination represents the same file then SameFileError exception will be raised.

Syntax: shutil.copyfile(source, destination, *, follow_symlinks = True)
Parameter:
source: A string representing the path of the source file.
destination: A string representing the path of the destination file.
follow_symlinks (optional) : The default value of this parameter is True. If False and source represents a symbolic link then a new symbolic link will be created instead of copying the file.
Note: The ‘*’ in parameter list indicates that all following parameters (Here in our case ‘follow_symlinks’) are keyword-only parameters and they can be provided using their name, not as positional parameter.
Return Type: This method returns a string which represents the path of newly created file.

Code #1: Use of shutil.copyfile() method to copy file from source to destination

 

# Python program to explain shutil.copyfile() method
  
# importing os module
import os
# importing shutil module
import shutil
# path
path = '/home/User/Documents'
# List files and directories
# in '/home/User/Documents'
print("Before copying file:")
print(os.listdir(path))
# Source path
source = "/home/User/Documents/file.txt"
# Destination path
destination = "/home/User/Documents/file(copy).txt"
# Copy the content of
# source to destination
dest = shutil.copyfile(source, destination)
# List files and directories
# in "/home / User / Documents"
print("After copying file:")
print(os.listdir(path))
# Print path of newly
# created file
print("Destination path:", dest)

Output:

Before copying file:
['hrithik.png', 'test.py', 'sample.txt', 'file.text', 'copy.cpp']
After copying file:
['hrithik.png', 'test.py', 'sample.txt', 'file.text', 'file(copy).txt', 'copy.cpp']
Destination path: /home/User/Documents/file(copy).txt

 

Code #2: Possible errors while using shutil.copyfile() method

# Python program to explain shutil.copyfile() method
  
# importing shutil module
import shutil
# If the source and destination
# represents the same file
# 'SameFileError' exception
# will be raised
# If the destination is
# is directory then
# 'IsADirectoryError' exception
# will be raised
# If the destination is
# not writable
# 'PermissionError' exception
# will be raised
# Source path
source = "/home/User/Documents/file.txt"
# Destination path
destination = "/home/User/Documents/file.txt"
# Copy the content of
# source to destination
shutil.copyfile(source, destination)

Output:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "copy.py", line 31, in 
    shutil.copyfile(source, destination)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.6/shutil.py", line 104, in copyfile
    raise SameFileError("{!r} and {!r} are the same file".format(src, dst))
shutil.SameFileError: '/home/User/Documents/file.txt' and '/home/User/Documents/file.txt'
are the same file

 

Code #3: Handling errors while using shutil.copyfile() method

# Python program to explain shutil.copyfile() method
  
# importing shutil module
import shutil
# Source path
source = "/home/User/Documents/file.txt"
# Destination path
destination = "/home/User/Documents"
# Copy the content of
# source to destination
try:
    shutil.copyfile(source, destination)
    print("File copied successfully.")
# If source and destination are same
except shutil.SameFileError:
    print("Source and destination represents the same file.")
# If destination is a directory.
except IsADirectoryError:
    print("Destination is a directory.")
# If there is any permission issue
except PermissionError:
    print("Permission denied.")
# For other errors
except:
    print("Error occurred while copying file.")

Output:

Destination is a directory.

 

Reference: https://docs.python.org/3/library/shutil.html

Last Updated on November 13, 2021 by admin

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