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How to Remove Directory in Python? (Empty & With Files)

Deleting or removing directories is a common task when working with file systems in Python. Sometimes, you may need to clean up your directory structure or remove unnecessary directories to manage your files efficiently. In this post, we will learn about different approaches to delete or remove directory in Python.

Python provides two main methods for deleting directories: 

  • os.rmdir() 

  • shutil.rmtree(). 

The os.rmdir() function is used to remove an empty directory, while the shutil.rmtree() function allows you to delete a directory and its contents recursively.

You will understand how to use both os.rmdir() and shutil.rmtree() functions with examples. 

How to Remove Empty Directory in Python?

Here is an example to remove the empty directory using os.rmdir() function:

Code

import os

# Specify the directory path
directory = "my_directory"

# Remove the directory
os.rmdir(directory)

print("Directory deleted successfully!")

Output

Directory deleted successfully!

Explanation

In this program, the os.rmdir() function is used to remove the specified directory. The directory must be empty for os.rmdir() to work properly. If the directory contains any files or subdirectories, an error will occur.

Python Course

Remove Directory in Python (With Files)

Following is the Python program to delete a directory along with its content or files:

Code

import shutil


# Specify the directory path
directory = "my_directory"

# Remove the directory and its contents recursively
shutil.rmtree(directory)


print("Directory deleted successfully!")

Output

Directory deleted successfully!

Explanation

In this program, the shutil.rmtree() function is used to delete the directory and its contents recursively. This function removes the specified directory and all its subdirectories and files, regardless of whether they are empty or not. Use this approach with caution, as it permanently deletes the directory and its contents.

After executing the respective function, if the directory is successfully deleted, the program will print "Directory deleted successfully!".

Note: Please note that directory deletion is a permanent action, and there is no built-in way to recover deleted files or directories. Therefore, exercise caution when deleting directories in your code, and ensure that you have appropriate backups or confirmation before performing deletion operations.