I take your point about it not being in the `os` module, I have no issue with it being in shutil or pathlib. I also agree about the name, "recycle" doesn't really make sense. Regarding your question: "But I'm still not sure that this needs to be in the standard library. For such a specialist need, what's wrong with using a third party solution?" Well, I can use a third-party solution for everything, but it would be nicer for me if it was in the standard library because then I could count on it always being there and the API not changing. I could say the same thing you said about the `webbrowser` module, that opening a new browser tab is quite a specialist need, but I do enjoy having it available in the standard library and I feel the same about sending a file to trash, which I think is a basic feature that's we've all been taking for granted for the last decade or two. Happy new year, Ram. On Thu, Jan 1, 2015 at 2:35 PM, Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> wrote:
On Thu, Jan 01, 2015 at 12:37:55PM +0200, Ram Rachum wrote:
So maybe we can add a function to the `os` module that sends a file to the recycle bin, and a constant that will say whether the current OS supports this? Then we could have code like this:
The os module is for low-level operating-system functions. "Send to trash" is neither low-level nor part of the OS per se, it is part of the desktop environment.
I'm not convinced that this needs to be in the standard library, but if it is, I think that the os module is completely the wrong place for it. I think, in order of preference:
1) shutil 2) pathlib
is the right place.
(The actual implementation for the move_to_trash function could come from another, platform-specific, module.)
if os.RECYCLE_BIN_SUPPORT: os.recycle(my_file) else: os.remove(my_file)
"Recycle" is not a good name for the function, because it doesn't recycle the file. It does the opposite of recycle: it prevents the file from being deleted and over-written. I think an explicit name like move_to_trash is better than something misleading like "recycle".
No need for a special flag to check if the function exists, just check for the function:
try: f = shutil.send_to_trash except AttributeError: f = os.remove f(my_file)
But I'm still not sure that this needs to be in the standard library. For such a specialist need, what's wrong with using a third party solution?
-- Steven _______________________________________________ Python-ideas mailing list Python-ideas@python.org https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-ideas Code of Conduct: http://python.org/psf/codeofconduct/