Using Python’s shutil Module for File and Directory Operations

shutil is a Python standard library module that provides high‑level file operations such as copying, moving, renaming, and archiving.

1. Copy a file – Use

import shutil
shutil.copy('source_file.txt', 'destination_folder/source_file_copy.txt')
print("文件已复制")

to copy a file and optionally set its permission mode.

2. Move or rename a file/directory –

import shutil
shutil.move('old_location/file.txt', 'new_location/new_filename.txt')
print("文件已移动或重命名")

moves or renames the target.

3. Copy an entire directory tree –

import shutil
shutil.copytree('source_directory', 'destination_directory')
print("目录已复制")

recursively copies a directory and its contents.

4. Delete an entire directory tree –

import shutil
shutil.rmtree('directory_to_remove')
print("目录已被删除")

removes a directory and all its sub‑files permanently.

5. Create a ZIP archive –

import shutil
archive_name = shutil.make_archive('backup', 'zip', 'source_directory')
print(f"归档已创建: {archive_name}")

creates a zip (or tar) archive of a directory.

6. Extract a ZIP archive –

import shutil
shutil.unpack_archive('example.zip', 'extract_directory')
print("文件已解压")

extracts the archive to a target folder.

When performing operations that may overwrite existing files, back up important data; use shutil.rmtree() with extreme caution because it permanently deletes everything in the specified path, and ensure you have appropriate read/write permissions.