Iterate on items in Array with Python

Question

I am looking to iterate on items within an array using python and create folders for items.

The following is my format:

'0001': ['123101203', '1221231102136'], 
'0002': ['1681235932', '22612312303', '213412312341', '123123610116'], 
'0003': ['123408503']

What I am looking to do is to look through the Array and create Folders for each item and subfolders for each sub-item.

i.e. there is a 0001 folder, and within it there is a 1230101203 folder and a 1222.. folder , etc.

I was approaching it like the following:

sample = [Array]
for s in sample:       
   os.mkdir(n)
   os.chdir(n + '/')
        Create subfolders for each array item
   # os.chdir('../')

I am wondering how to loop through the array and through each of its items. I was thinking a nested structure makes sense — user1982011
– user1982011, Commented Mar 9, 2015 at 18:56

Demian Brecht · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-09 18:59:18Z

2

You'll have to add error handling for existing directories, but you can do the following in order to not have to worry about nested loops or building up the path:

from os import makedirs, path
from itertools import product, chain

data = {
    '0001': ['123101203', '1221231102136'],
    '0002': ['1681235932', '22612312303', '213412312341', '123123610116'],
    '0003': ['123408503']
}

dirs = chain(*list(product((k,), v) for k, v in data.items()))
for parent, sub in dirs:
    makedirs(path.join(parent, sub))

answered Mar 9, 2015 at 18:59

Demian Brecht

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2 Comments

user1982011 Over a year ago

This is great! If there are existing directories is there an easy way to overwrite it?

Demian Brecht Over a year ago

@user1982011: You can check for its existence beforehand (os.path.exists and os.path.isdir) and delete it using shutil.rmtree.

frlan · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-09 18:47:29Z

1

So pretty much what you want to do is a nested loop. As sample looks a bit like a dict, you have first to get the keys of the dict to access the lines of your "array".

for s in sample.keys(): 
   # mkfolder for 1st level; s is storing the key name
   for i in sample[s]:
       # do the rest of the folders

Of course you might need to build up the path, but this should be not a big issue as you have s and different i.

answered Mar 9, 2015 at 18:47

frlan

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