Question

How can I do the equivalent of mv in Python?

mv "path/to/current/file.foo" "path/to/new/destination/for/file.foo"

Answer 1

os.rename(), os.replace(), or shutil.move()

All employ the same syntax:

import os
import shutil

os.rename("path/to/current/file.foo", "path/to/new/destination/for/file.foo")
os.replace("path/to/current/file.foo", "path/to/new/destination/for/file.foo")
shutil.move("path/to/current/file.foo", "path/to/new/destination/for/file.foo")

• The filename ("file.foo") must be included in both the source and destination arguments. If it differs between the two, the file will be renamed as well as moved.
• The directory within which the new file is being created must already exist.
• On Windows, a file with that name must not exist or an exception will be raised, but os.replace() will silently replace a file even in that occurrence.
• shutil.move simply calls os.rename in most cases. However, if the destination is on a different disk than the source, it will instead copy and then delete the source file.