Python – How to Delete a File or Folder

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How can I delete a file or folder in Python?

Best Answer

Use one of these methods:

pathlib.Path.unlink() removes a file or symbolic link.
pathlib.Path.rmdir() removes an empty directory.
shutil.rmtree() deletes a directory and all its contents.

On Python 3.3 and below, you can use these methods instead of the pathlib ones:

os.remove() removes a file.
os.unlink() removes a symbolic link.
os.rmdir() removes an empty directory.

Related Solutions

Python Folder Contents – How to Delete the Contents of a Folder Using Python

import os, shutil
folder = '/path/to/folder'
for filename in os.listdir(folder):
    file_path = os.path.join(folder, filename)
    try:
        if os.path.isfile(file_path) or os.path.islink(file_path):
            os.unlink(file_path)
        elif os.path.isdir(file_path):
            shutil.rmtree(file_path)
    except Exception as e:
        print('Failed to delete %s. Reason: %s' % (file_path, e))

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Python Folder Contents – How to Delete the Contents of a Folder Using Python

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