How to remove empty directories with Python 3 using map() and filter() functions instead of for loop?

Question

I’m trying to create a function with Python 3 that deletes empty directories in a specified directory.

Unfortunately, my attempts haven’t been successful, so I’d appreciate any help, guidance, and suggestions.

Example of what I’m trying to get the function to do:

Before…

-folder/
    |-empty1/
    |-empty2/
    |-not_empty1/
        |-file
    |-not_empty2/
        |-file

After…

-folder/
    |-not_empty1/
        |-file
    |-not_empty2/
        |-file

Here’s what I was sure would work but didn’t:

# folder - absolute path to directory that may contain empty directories
def cleanup(folder):
    from os import listdir, rmdir, path
    ls = listdir(folder)
    ls = map(lambda f: path.join(folder, f), ls)
    folders = filter(lambda f: path.isdir(f), ls)
    map(lambda x: rmdir(x), folders)

Thanks!

EDITS:

Removed extra parenthesis at the end that the first map had from using list(map(...)) to debug with print statements
Moved path.join() line above path.isdir()
Changed the title of the question from "…Python 3 in FP style" since, as pointed out in the comments, this isn’t a correct implementation and application of FP.

Asked By: pablordoricaw

||

Source

Answer 1

os.rmdir only removes empty directories, so there’s nothing left to do in a functional style in a correct and minimal implementation:

import errno
import os


def cleanup(folder):
    for name in os.listdir(folder):
        try:
            os.rmdir(os.path.join(folder, name))
        except OSError as e:
            if e.errno != errno.ENOTEMPTY:
                raise

Answered By: Ry-

How to remove empty directories with Python 3 using map() and filter() functions instead of for loop?

Question:

Example of what I’m trying to get the function to do:

Here’s what I was sure would work but didn’t:

Answers: