`tempfile`

The Python tempfile module provides a simple way to create temporary files and directories. This module is particularly useful when you need to store data temporarily during program execution, ensuring that the data is automatically cleaned up when no longer needed.

Here’s a quick example:

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>>> import tempfile

>>> with tempfile.TemporaryFile() as temp:
...     temp.write(b"Hello, World!")
...     temp.seek(0)
...     temp.read()
...
b"Hello, World!"

Note: The default mode for tempfile.TemporaryFile is "w+b" (binary read/write). You can also set "w+t" for text files.

Key Features

Creates temporary files and directories
Automatically cleans up temporary resources
Provides secure handling of temporary files
Supports both named and unnamed temporary files
Cross-platform compatibility (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Frequently Used Classes and Functions

Object	Type	Description
`tempfile.TemporaryFile`	Function	Creates a temporary file
`tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile`	Function	Creates a named temporary file
`tempfile.TemporaryDirectory`	Function	Creates a temporary directory
`tempfile.mkstemp()`	Function	Provides a low-level function to create a temporary file
`tempfile.mkdtemp()`	Function	Provides a low-level function to create a temporary directory
`tempfile.gettempdir()`	Function	Returns the default directory for temporary files
`tempfile.gettempprefix()`	Function	Returns the default prefix for temporary file names

Examples

Create a named temporary file:

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>>> with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False) as temp:
...     print(temp.name)
...
'/tmp/tmpabcd1234'

Note: By default, NamedTemporaryFile will automatically delete the file when closed. However, if you specify delete=False, as in this example, you’re responsible for deleting the file yourself after use.

Create a temporary directory:

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>>> with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
...     print(temp_dir)
...
'/tmp/tmpabcd5678'

Common Use Cases

Creating temporary files for intermediate data storage
Managing temporary directories for temporary data processing
Testing file and directory operations in a safe, isolated environment
Generating unique file paths for temporary use
Sharing temporary files between processes or subprocesses
Replacing insecure or hard-coded temporary paths in code

Real-World Example

Suppose you need to extract the content of a tar file to a temporary directory, check for .txt files, and create a backup archive containing only those files:

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>>> import tempfile, tarfile, pathlib, os

>>> def backup_txt_files(archive_path, backup_name="text_backup.tar.gz"):
...     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
...         temp_dir_path = pathlib.Path(temp_dir)
...
...         with tarfile.open(archive_path, mode="r:*") as tar:
...             tar.extractall(path=temp_dir)
...
...         txt_files = list(temp_dir_path.glob("*.txt"))
...         if not txt_files:
...             print("No .txt files found to back up.")
...             return
...
...         with tarfile.open(backup_name, mode="w:gz") as backup_tar:
...             for txt_file in txt_files:
...                 backup_tar.add(txt_file, arcname=txt_file.name)
...                 print(f"Backed up: {txt_file.name}")
...         print(f"Created backup archive: {backup_name}")
...

>>> backup_txt_files("sample.tar.gz")
Backed up: report.txt
Backed up: notes.txt
Created backup archive: text_backup.tar.gz

In this example, a tar archive is extracted to a temporary directory. All .txt files found in the extracted content are packed into a new backup archive named text_backup.tar.gz in the current directory. The temporary directory and its contents are automatically cleaned up after the context manager exits.

Tutorial

How to Get a List of All Files in a Directory With Python

In this tutorial, you'll be examining a couple of methods to get a list of files and folders in a directory with Python. You'll also use both methods to recursively list directory contents. Finally, you'll examine a situation that pits one method against the other.

intermediate

For additional information on related topics, take a look at the following resources: