Create a Summary Report of the Files in a Folder (e.g., Sizes, Types)

Introduction

When working with files and folders, it’s often necessary to quickly summarize the contents of a folder. This can be a tedious task, especially when dealing with large directories or complex file structures. In this post, we’ll explore how to create a summary report of the files in a folder, including their sizes and types.

Python Example

import os

# Set the path to the folder you want to analyze
folder_path = '/path/to/your/folder'

# Initialize an empty dictionary to store the summary report
summary_report = {}

# Iterate through the files in the folder
for filename in os.listdir(folder_path):
    # Get the file path and extension
    file_path = os.path.join(folder_path, filename)
    file_ext = os.path.splitext(filename)[1]

    # Get the file size
    file_size = os.path.getsize(file_path)

    # Add the file information to the summary report
    if file_ext in summary_report:
        summary_report[file_ext].append({'filename': filename, 'size': file_size})
    else:
        summary_report[file_ext] = [{'filename': filename, 'size': file_size}]

# Print the summary report
for file_ext, files in summary_report.items():
    print(f"Files with extension {file_ext}:")
    for file in files:
        print(f"  {file['filename']}: {file['size']} bytes")

Code Explanation

• os.listdir(folder_path) returns a list of files in the specified folder.
• os.path.join(folder_path, filename) constructs the full path to each file.
• os.path.splitext(filename)[1] extracts the file extension.
• os.path.getsize(file_path) returns the file size in bytes.
• The summary report is stored in a dictionary, where each key is a file extension and the value is a list of files with that extension.

Conclusion

By using the Python code example provided, you can easily create a summary report of the files in a folder, including their sizes and types. This can be a valuable tool for quickly analyzing and managing your files and folders.

We’d love to hear from you!

What’s the most creative way you’ve used folder summaries to streamline your workflow?

Have you ever encountered a situation where a folder summary helped you identify a potential issue or mistake?

What additional information would you like to see included in a folder summary report?