Copy a File using Python

There are two ways to copy a file in Python:

  1. Using the shutil.copy() function: The shutil.copy() function takes two arguments: the source file path and the destination file path.
  2. Using the open() and write() methods: The open() and write() methods can be used to copy a file.

shutil.copy()

Following is an example of how to copy a file using the shutil.copy() function:

The shutil module is a built-in Python module that provides a higher-level interface for performing various file and directory operations. It is mainly used for file operations such as copying, moving, and deleting files and directories.

import shutil def copy_file(source_file_path, destination_file_path): shutil.copy(source_file_path, destination_file_path) copy_file("my_file.txt", "my_copy_file.txt")

This code will copy the file my_file.txt to a new file called my_copy_file.txt.

Copy a file using the open() and write() methods

Here is an example of how to copy a file using the open() and write() methods:

def copy_file(source_file_path, destination_file_path): with open(source_file_path, "r") as source_file: with open(destination_file_path, "w") as destination_file: destination_file.write(source_file.read()) copy_file("my_file.txt", "my_copy_file.txt")

This code will also copy the file my_file.txt to a new file called my_copy_file.txt.

Python shutil module

The Python shutil module contains functions that are used to automate common file operations in a platform-independent way. These functions make it easy to perform file operations, without worrying about platform-specific differences or low-level file system details.

Conclusion

To copy a file in Python, you can utilize the open() function to open both the source and target files, then employ a loop to read content from the source file and write it to the target file. Proper handling of file operations, such as error management and closure, is crucial for successful file copying.