calling linux shell in python with writing output in a text file

Question

I would like to call system shell in a Python code and write the results in a text file. When I write this command:

call(["ls", "-lrt"])

The calling process works and print the files and folders list as an output on the screen. However, when I try to write the printed output in a text file (rather than screen), it does not work! I tried all these:

call(["ls", "-lrt", ">", "result.txt"])

call(["ls", "-lrt", "> result.txt"])

call(["ls -lrt > result.txt"])

But in the Linux shell this command "ls -lrt > result.txt" nicely works.

I am using Linux CentOS 7 and my Python version is 2.7.5.

I will be thankful if anyone can help me for this simple problem.

It has been already answered here using os.system stackoverflow.com/questions/3791465/… — mayanand
– mayanand, Commented Nov 7, 2015 at 1:00

decltype_auto · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-07 00:40:32Z

3

use e.g. subprocess.call like this

subprocess.call(["ls",  "-lrt"], stdout=open("foo.txt",'w'))

The signature of the function

subprocess.call(args, *, stdin=None, stdout=None, stderr=None, shell=False)

is rather self-explanatory; stdin , stdout and stderr are meant for fileobjects like those returned by open()

answered Nov 7, 2015 at 0:40

decltype_auto

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2 Comments

Amir Over a year ago

Thanks a lot. It works. Just to know: what does 'w' means?

decltype_auto Over a year ago

that's for write access; it truncates the target file if itexists.

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