How can I copy a file in Python?

How can I copy a file in Python?

You can use the shutil module to copy files in Python. Here's a simple example:

import shutil

shutil.copy('source.txt', 'destination.txt')

What if I want to copy a directory instead?

To copy a directory, you can use shutil.copytree(). Here's how:

import shutil

shutil.copytree('source_directory', 'destination_directory')

Can I overwrite the destination if it already exists?

Yes, but shutil.copytree() will raise an error if the destination exists. You can set dirs_exist_ok=True in Python 3.8 and later:

shutil.copytree('source_directory', 'destination_directory', dirs_exist_ok=True)

Are there any other methods to copy files?

Yes, you can also use os.system() to call shell commands, but using shutil is recommended for better portability.