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Glob Module

The glob module in Python is a powerful tool for finding file paths matching specific patterns. It uses Unix shell-like rules for pattern matching, making it an efficient way to search for files and directories.

Importing the Glob Module​

To use the glob module, first import it:

import glob

Finding Files​

The glob module provides various methods to find files matching patterns. The most commonly used function is glob.glob().

Basic Usage​

Use glob.glob() to find files based on a specified pattern. It returns a list of path names that match the pattern:

# Find files named 'index.js'
files = glob.glob("index.js")
print(files)  # Output: ['index.js']

Pattern Matching​

The glob module supports several pattern-matching features:

  • *: Matches zero or more characters.
  • ?: Matches any single character.
  • [...]: Matches any character within the specified set.
  • [!...] or [^...]: Matches any character not within the specified set.

Examples:​

# Match files with names starting with any two characters followed by 'dex' and ending with '.js'
files = glob.glob("??dex*.js")
print(files)  # Example Output: ['index.js']

# Match all files in the current directory
files = glob.glob("*")
print(files)

# Match files starting with 'i' or 'l' and ending with '.js'
files = glob.glob("[il]*.js")
print(files)

# Match files not starting with 'i' or 'l' and ending with '.js'
files = glob.glob("[!il]*.js")
print(files)

To search for files recursively in subdirectories, use the ** syntax with the recursive=True parameter:

# Find all JavaScript files recursively in all directories
files = glob.glob("**/*.js", recursive=True)
print(files)

Using the Generator Version​

The glob.iglob() function provides a generator, which yields file names one at a time. This is useful for handling large directories without loading all file names into memory at once:

# Using the generator version of glob
files_generator = glob.iglob("**/*.js", recursive=True)
for file in files_generator:
    print(file)

Advantages of the Glob Module​

  1. Flexible Pattern Matching: Supports wildcards for powerful and flexible file searches.
  2. Recursive Search: Easily search through directories and subdirectories.
  3. Memory Efficiency: The iglob generator version avoids loading all results into memory at once.

Conclusion​

The glob module in Python is a convenient and efficient tool for searching for files and directories based on patterns. Whether you need to locate specific files, perform recursive searches, or use pattern matching, the glob module offers a simple yet powerful solution for managing file discovery tasks in Python.