Create directories and modify files with Python

[Peter Otten]

deltaquattro at gmail.com wrote:

> At this point, I go for a Fortran/C code, which takes me longer to write.

If you already have a basic programming knowledge the tutorial that comes 
with Python should be an excellent starting point:

http://docs.python.org/py3k/tutorial/index.html

> Now I'd like to try another road. The problem is that each time I stumble
> upon a good chance to learn Python, I never have enough time to learn the
> language from zero, and I end up with one of two solutions above. If you
> can provide me with a working solution or at least some code to start
> with, I should be able to solve my immediate problem, and then have time
> to learn some more (that's how I learned shell scripting). The (possibly
> wrong) underlying assumption is that the problem is simple enough for one
> of you Python experts to solve easily, without wasting too much of his/her
> time. Anyway, I'm willing to pay a reasonable fee for help, provided you
> have Paypal.

While some people here might welcome a few extra bucks that's generally not 
the reason we are posting here. The idea is more about peers helping peers 
and sometimes learning something useful for themselves.

In that spirit I'd like to make an alternative offer: put some effort into 
the job yourself, write a solution in bash and post it here. I (or someone 
else) will then help you translate it into basic Python. That will typically 
attract others who know how to make it shorter, simpler, or more general (or 
to turn it into a showcase for Python's more advanced features or their 
favourite programming paradigm). You'll end up with a usable starting point 
for further endeavours into the language, no money involved.