Speed Up Work

Introduction:

Tired of manually creating endless folders for your projects? We’ve all been there: right-click, type, repeat – a tedious and error-prone process. But what if you could automate this mundane task and reclaim precious time? In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to use Python, a beginner-friendly programming language, to effortlessly create and name folders, even in complex project structures.

Why Automate Folder Creation?

• Save Time: Let Python handle the repetitive task of folder creation, freeing you up for more valuable tasks.
• Reduce Errors: Eliminate typos and misclicks that lead to disorganized files and the need to redo work.
• Boost Productivity: Streamline your workflow and focus on what truly matters.
• Scale Easily: Create hundreds of folders in micro-seconds, no matter the project size.

Getting Started with Python

If you’re new to Python, you should check out our Python Basics post here. It covers how to install Python on a Windows PC and a Mac.

We’ll be using the os module, which comes with Python, to interact with your file system.

Basic Folder Creation

We all learn how to walk before we run, and the same applies to coding.

Creating a single folder with Python is as simple as two lines of code:

Python

import os

os.makedirs('folder_name')

Creating Multiple Folders

Let’s say you need to create 100 folders where each folder has the naming convention “X_project”. Here’s how Python can do the heavy lifting:

Python

import os

for n in range(100):
    try:
        # We are adding 1 to each "n" so the    
        # folder names start at 1 instead of 0
        date_str = f"{n+1}_project"
        os.makedirs(date_str)
    except ValueError:  # Handle invalid dates 
        pass

All you need to do after writing this code is run it in the folder you wish to create your new files. So if you have a project called “Auto_Folder”, navigate to “Auto_Folder” (probably something like “Documents/Auto_Folder”, and then within Auto_Folder save this code in a python file called “main.py” and run the command

python3 main.py

Creating Subfolders

To organize your files further, you can create subfolders within each main folder. Let’s create subfolders for “pictures” and “invoices” for project folder:

Python

import os

for n in range(100):
    try:
        # We are adding 1 to each "n" so the    
        # folder names start at 1 instead of 0
        date_str = f"{n+1}_project"
        pic_str = f"{n+1}_project/pictures"
        invoice_str = f"{n+1}_project/invoices"
        os.makedirs(date_str)
        os.makedirs(pic_str)
        os.makedirs(invoice_str)
    except ValueError:  # Handle invalid dates 
        pass

Conclusion

Automating folder creation and naming can significantly improve your productivity and organization. With just a few lines of Python code, you can streamline this repetitive task and focus on more important aspects of your work. Whether you’re a busy professional, an engineer, or anyone dealing with a lot of files, Python can be your secret weapon for efficient file management.