How Can I Move Files in Python Using `os.rename()`, `os.replace()`, and `shutil.move()`?

Moving Files in Python

Python offers several methods to accomplish the task of moving files, analogous to the mv command in Unix-like systems. These methods include:

• os.rename()
• os.replace()
• shutil.move()

All three share a consistent 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")

Here are some important considerations when moving files:

• The filename ("file.foo") must be specified in both the source and destination paths. If it differs, the file will be renamed as well as moved.
• The parent directory of the destination path must exist prior to moving the file.
• On Windows systems, the destination path cannot specify an existing file, as this will raise an exception. However, os.replace() will silently overwrite existing files.
• shutil.move typically invokes os.rename for file moves within the same disk. However, when the destination and source are on different disks, shutil.move copies the file and then deletes the original.

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