Cross-platform module that creates directory object with all file attributes

[Tim Chase]

On 07/13/2010 10:56 AM, python at bdurham.com wrote:
> Any recommendations for a cross-platform module that creates a
> directory object with not only file names, but file attributes as
> well?
>
> Use cases:
> - Sort files by file size or date last modified
> - Filter files by read-only status
>
> I know I can use various standard library functions [1] to
> construct such a class, but I'd rather avoid re-inventing the
> wheel if at all possible. (I fear that this may be one of those
> seemingly easy tasks that starts off simple and ends up taking a
> lot more time to implement after real world refactoring).

I think it's sufficiently easy to create a custom solution that 
there's not much value in trying to map file-metadata into a 
wrapper object.  For your examples:

   f = os.path.getmtime
   #f = os.path.getsize
   sorted_by_mtime = sorted(os.listdir('.'), key=f)

or if you need a different location

   sorted_by_mtime = sorted(
     os.listdir(loc),
     key=lambda fname: f(os.path.join(loc, fname))
     )

And for your read-only status:

   files = [fname for fname in os.listdir(loc)
     if os.access(os.path.join(loc, fname), os.W_OK)
     ]

That doesn't mean somebody hasn't done it before, but given how 
easy it is without a wrapper object, it's not something I'd go 
out of my way to find.

-tkc