random function with strings

[Adam Ruth]

ataraxia2500 <messageboardfan1 at yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<3ef51a51$0$8029$79c14f64 at nan-newsreader-01.noos.net>...
> I have a function that goes through a directory and I would like to remove
> randomly one of the files contained in that directory. I checked out the
> random() function in the documentation but it only deals with integers.
> 
> here's what my function looks like: 
> 
> with os.path.walk
> def delete_backups(arg, dirname, names):
>  /*here I need a function that select a file randomly and, let's  call it
> "name", then I do this:*/
>             os.remove(os.path.join(dirname, name))
> 
> any suggestions?
> 
> thanx in advance

The random module has exactly what you need:

def delete_backups(arg, dirname, names):
    name = random.choice(names)
    os.remove(os.path.join(dirname, name))

Adam Ruth