Copy Files in Python with shutil.copy() and shutil.copystat()

Python File‑Copying Basics

Python’s shutil module offers straightforward functions for copying files and preserving metadata. The two primary utilities are shutil.copy() and shutil.copystat().

copy(src, dst)

Copies the file located at src to the destination dst. The file contents are duplicated, but file permissions and timestamps are not preserved.

copystat(src, dst)

Copies file metadata—including permissions, timestamps, and other OS‑specific attributes—from src to dst. It must be called after a successful copy() to replicate the full file state.

Step‑by‑Step Example

1. Locate the source file
   Confirm that guru99.txt exists in the current working directory and retrieve its absolute path.

import os
from os import path

src_path = path.realpath("guru99.txt")
print("Source:", src_path)

2. Create a backup name
   Append .bak to the original filename to form the destination path.

dst_path = src_path + ".bak"
print("Destination:", dst_path)

3. Copy the file contents
   Use shutil.copy() to duplicate the file data.

import shutil
shutil.copy(src_path, dst_path)

4. Copy the metadata
   After the content copy, replicate the original file’s permissions and timestamps.

shutil.copystat(src_path, dst_path)

5. Verify the copy
   Use the os.path.getmtime() function to display the last‑modified time of the backup file.

import datetime
mod_time = path.getmtime(dst_path)
print("Last modified:", datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(mod_time))

Running the script will create guru99.txt.bak in the same directory, complete with the same permissions and timestamps as the original.

Practical Tips

• Always perform shutil.copy() before shutil.copystat()—the latter requires an existing destination file.
• When working across different file systems, be aware that not all metadata attributes are supported; copystat() will copy only what the OS exposes.
• For recursive directory copying, consider shutil.copytree() or shutil.copy2(), which combines copy() and copystat() in one step.

Summary

• Use shutil.copy(src, dst) to duplicate file contents.
• Use shutil.copystat(src, dst) to duplicate permissions, timestamps, and other metadata.