How to delete a file or folder in python with example

This tutorial explains file and folder delete in python with code examples.

File delete is an file operation that delete a file from a directory.

directory delete is an operation that delete files and folders in a directory

#Python File delete example

There are multiple ways we can delete a file

• remove the file using os.remove() function

  • Import the os module into the code
  • Check file exists or not using os.path.isfile() function
  • if a file exists, Remove the file by calling os.remove() function
  • else return file does not exist message

Here is an example

import os
if(os.path.isfile("./emp1.json")): # remove a file using remove
os.remove("./emp1.json")
print("File removed")
else:
print("File does not exist")

• delete single file using os.unlink() function `os.unlink() function internally calls os.remove() function. It is similar to the unix unlink operation.

  • Import os module into the code
  • Check file exists or not using os.path.isfile() function
  • if file exists, Remove the file by calling os.unlink() function
  • else return file does not exist message Here is an example

import os
if(os.path.isfile("./emp1.json")): # remove a file using unlink
os.unlink("./emp1.json")
print("File removed")
else:
print("File does not exist")

• Delete a file using pathlib.Path.unlink function

Python 3.4 introduced Path class in pathlib module. pathlib.Path.unlink() removes the file.

• Create a Path Object
• Call calling path.unlink() to remove a file

Here is an example

import os
from pathlib import Path
file = Path("./emp1.json")

if(os.path.isfile("./emp1.json")): # remove a file
file.unlink()
print("File removed")
else:
print("File does not exist")

#How to delete Empty folder or directory in Python example

To delete an empty directory in a python, Please follow the below steps

• Import os module into codebase.
• call os.rmdir() or Pathlib.rmdir() function to remove a empty directory
• It removes a directory and returns None.
• It throws FileNotFoundError if the directory not exists using os.rmdir() function:

import os
print(os.rmdir("directory1"))

using pathlib.rmdir() function:

import pathlib

directory = pathlib.Path("directory")
directory.rmdir()

#How do you delete files and subfolders in directory

To delete a directory and files inside a directory in python, Please follow the below steps

• Import os and shutil moduled into codebase.
• Create a path os.path.join(abspath,directory) with abspath is a absolute path location,directory is a directory to remove
• call shutil.rmtree(path) function to remove a directory
• It removes a directory and it’s files and returns None.
• It throws FileNotFoundError if directory not exists

Here is an example

import os
import shutil
path = os.path.join("./", "directory")
shutil.rmtree(path)

#How do you delete a file in Python?

To delete a file in python, Please follow the below steps

• Import os module into codebase.
• call os.remove() to remove a file
• It removes a file and returns None.
• It throws FileNotFoundError if file not exists File can be deleted using os.remove() function