Zip Error message if there is a space in the windows directory name

[guitonoklops9]

I am very new to python and programming. Right now I'm working on this simple backup program:

#C:\python25\programs\
# File name: test
import os, time
source = ['C:/test/']
target_directory = 'C:/Backup/'
today = target_directory + time.strftime('%m.%d.%Y')
now = time.strftime('BackUp@_%H.%M.%S')
if not os.path.exists(today):
	os.mkdir(today)
	print 'Successfully created directory', today
target = os.path.join(today, now + '.zip')
zip_command = "zip -qrv %s %s" % (target, '' .join(source))
print zip_command
if os.system(zip_command) == 0:
	print 'sucessful backup to', target
else:
	print 'Backup FAILED'

This code woks fine. If I try to use a directory with spaces in the path on line 4 like:

source = ['C:/test/test 2/']

I get a zip error:

zip warning: name not matched: C:/test/test
zip warning: name not matched: 2/
zip error: Nothing to do!

I know that my syntax is probably not right and that I probably do not have quotes in the right spot (maybe in the zip_command on line 12). I have tried a lot of different possibilities and cannot seem to get the qoutes in the right spot. Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated!!!

[bartonc]

I am very new to python and programming. Right now I'm working on this simple backup program:

#C:\python25\programs\
# File name: test
import os, time
source = ['C:/test/']
target_directory = 'C:/Backup/'
today = target_directory + time.strftime('%m.%d.%Y')
now = time.strftime('BackUp@_%H.%M.%S')
if not os.path.exists(today):
	os.mkdir(today)
	print 'Successfully created directory', today
target = os.path.join(today, now + '.zip')
zip_command = "zip -qrv %s %s" % (target, '' .join(source))
print zip_command
if os.system(zip_command) == 0:
	print 'sucessful backup to', target
else:
	print 'Backup FAILED'

This code woks fine. If I try to use a directory with spaces in the path on line 4 like:

source = ['C:/test/test 2/']

I get a zip error:

zip warning: name not matched: C:/test/test
zip warning: name not matched: 2/
zip error: Nothing to do!

I know that my syntax is probably not right and that I probably do not have quotes in the right spot (maybe in the zip_command on line 12). I have tried a lot of different possibilities and cannot seem to get the qoutes in the right spot. Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated!!!

You'll want to use a technique that puts quotes around the directory name for you. Like this:

>>> print "'hello world'" # single quotes inside quotes
'hello world'
>>> print repr("hello world")
'hello world'
>>>

So in your case it might be[CODE=python]
zip_command = "zip -qrv %s %s" % (repr(target), '' .join(repr(sour ce)))
[/CODE]But I haven't tested that.

[bvdet]

I am very new to python and programming. Right now I'm working on this simple backup program:

#C:\python25\programs\
# File name: test
import os, time
source = ['C:/test/']
target_directory = 'C:/Backup/'
today = target_directory + time.strftime('%m.%d.%Y')
now = time.strftime('BackUp@_%H.%M.%S')
if not os.path.exists(today):
	os.mkdir(today)
	print 'Successfully created directory', today
target = os.path.join(today, now + '.zip')
zip_command = "zip -qrv %s %s" % (target, '' .join(source))
print zip_command
if os.system(zip_command) == 0:
	print 'sucessful backup to', target
else:
	print 'Backup FAILED'

This code woks fine. If I try to use a directory with spaces in the path on line 4 like:

source = ['C:/test/test 2/']

I get a zip error:

zip warning: name not matched: C:/test/test
zip warning: name not matched: 2/
zip error: Nothing to do!

I know that my syntax is probably not right and that I probably do not have quotes in the right spot (maybe in the zip_command on line 12). I have tried a lot of different possibilities and cannot seem to get the qoutes in the right spot. Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated!!!

I cannot explain the problem you are having, but you should consider making your backups with the zipfile module instead of executing a system command. Check out this thread: http://www.thescripts.com/forum/thread600628.html

[ghostdog74]

source = ['C:/test/test 2/']

source=os.path. join("c:\\","te st","test\ 2")

[bartonc]

source=os.path. join("c:\\","te st","test\ 2")

Yields
'c:\\test\\test \\ 2'
which doesn't look quite right to me. But I do need to start using that module so that I can give expamples like yours, gd.

[ghostdog74]

Yields
'c:\\test\\test \\ 2'
which doesn't look quite right to me. But I do need to start using that module so that I can give expamples like yours, gd.

hi bc, the extra \ is to escape the white space for that directory with space.
os.path.join will take care of that. I have tested it on my Win32 system, using putty.exe ( chosen randomly ) which is stored in my "Program Files" directory, and then using os.system(). Putty started successfully, so i am quite sure it works. however, if it doesn't work for the majority, i think something is wrong with my system lol :)

[Motoma]

hi bc, the extra \ is to escape the white space for that directory with space.
os.path.join will take care of that. I have tested it on my Win32 system, using putty.exe ( chosen randomly ) which is stored in my "Program Files" directory, and then using os.system(). Putty started successfully, so i am quite sure it works. however, if it doesn't work for the majority, i think something is wrong with my system lol :)

I think he is right and you made a mistake: the code I believe he wants is:

source=os.path. join("c:\\","te st","test 2")

You had escaped test 2 before passing it to join, which causes a double escape.

[ghostdog74]

I think he is right and you made a mistake: the code I believe he wants is:

source=os.path. join("c:\\","te st","test 2")

You had escaped test 2 before passing it to join, which causes a double escape.

here's a demonstration

>>> import os
>>> s=os.path.join("/home","test","directory with spaces")
>>> print s
/home/test/directory with spaces
>>> os.chdir(s)
>>> os.getcwd()
'/home/test/directory with spaces'
>>> s=os.path.join("/home","test","directory with spaces","test1.sh") #trying to execute a script
>>> os.system(s)
sh: /home/test/directory: No such file or directory
32512
>>> s=os.path.join("/home","test","directory\ with\ spaces","test1.sh")
>>> os.system(s)
0
0
0
0
0

it works properly when the spaces are escaped, just like what is done by the shell.

[Motoma]

Oh man...Are we going to have a code off?

[code=python]
>>> import os
>>> s = os.path.join("C :\\", "Program Files")
>>> os.chdir(s)
>>> os.getcwd()
'C:\\Program Files'
>>> s = os.path.join("C :/", "Program Files")
>>> os.chdir(s)
>>> os.getcwd()
'C:\\Program Files'
>>> s = os.path.join("C :\\", "Program\ Files")
>>> os.chdir(s)

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<pyshell#2 6>", line 1, in -toplevel-
os.chdir(s)
OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'C:\\Program\\ Files'
>>>
[/code]

I guess this is a difference between Python on Windows and Linux.

[bartonc]

I guess this is a difference between Python on Windows and Linux.

Now we are getting to the heart of the matter. I tend to forget that not everybody uses the same platform.