How to create a directory generator with Python for your ideas

Ever since I remember, I’ve always struggle with the fact that I couldn’t manage very well my own ideas. The version control was there on the code files, but not on the others, like 3d design files or gerber files. This mess results in outdated files, while others were updated since the start. I would end up with an updated firmware with an outdated pcb, causing friction between my brain cells 🤧

So I came up with a solution. So simple but yet so useful - create a folder with multiple folders meant to store information about the field.

Four folders, each one with a different use.

The Firmware is stored in a folder where the PlatformIO will create the project code.

The pcb is where the KiCad project is going to be, and even has three others folder to store the bill of materials in html (seen in the previous post), images of the pcb in svg and a final gerber, ready to be orderer!

To store the Fusion360 project files or Cura .gcode files, the stl folder is there to fulfill this need.

Finally, the .git is where the control version is done and stored 😉

Now, to do this I used Python. Easy and simple as usual.

Since I tend to use both operation systems, windows and MacOS, the code is adapted to both.

	# importing os module
	import os
	import sys
	import subprocess
	def createDir(path, osInfo):
	try:
	os.mkdir(path)
	os.mkdir(path + '/stl')
	os.mkdir(path + '/firmware')
	os.mkdir(path + '/pcb')
	os.mkdir(path + '/pcb/gerber')
	os.mkdir(path + '/pcb/svg')
	os.mkdir(path + '/pcb/bom')
	os.chdir(path)
	if osInfo == 'nt':
	addgit = subprocess.run(['git', 'init'], shell = True)
	else:
	addgit = subprocess.run(['git', 'init'])
	except IndexError:
	print("An exception occurred - Enter parameters!")
	except FileNotFoundError:
	print("An exception occurred - Enter right path!")
	except FileExistsError:
	print("An exception occurred - File already exists!")
	else:
	print('*****************************************')
	print("** Directory was created successfully! **")
	print('*****************************************')
	if os.name == 'nt':
	_path = 'C:/Users/' + sys.argv[1] + '/Desktop/' + sys.argv[2]
	createDir(_path, os.name)
	else:
	_path = '/Users/nunonogueira/Documents/' + sys.argv[1]
	createDir(_path, os.name)

view raw igotanidea.py hosted with ❤ by GitHub

The code seems to work pretty great and it is fast as well.

How to create a directory generator with Python for your ideas v0.2

Last post was about using a directory generator kind of thing. So I thought about making it more user friendly and recently I saw tkinter which is a lib that creates a GUI for Python 🖥️

The requirements were the following:

1. Choose save directory and print text
2. Choose directory name from an input text
3. Create README.md files for each folder.
4. Generate directory
5. Print some debug stuff

First of all, tkinter is super easy to use. Python 3.9.2 does not come with it, but it is only required one single line to install it.

The import of filedialog enables the user to choose the save path directory. This event is triggered by a button.

Afterwards, the last button, the “Generate” one, triggers the creation of the desired directories. The README.me can be edited inside the python code. Regarding createFile(path, readme content) it is possible to create a README.me and edit as this:

createFile(direc, "This is the main README of the project. ")

A default directory path is set to facilitate the use of this application, but the same can be changed in:

## DEFAULT DIRECTORY
self.var.set('/Users/nunonogueira/Documents/')

The final result has been tested in macOS 11.2.3 and not yet in Windows… But I’ll test it soon!

Finally, here the code I used:

	# importing os module
	import os
	import sys
	import subprocess
	from tkinter import filedialog
	from tkinter import *
	class App:
	def createDir(self, direc):
	def createFile(path, content):
	self.f = open(path+"/README.md","w+")
	self.f.write(content)
	self.f.close()
	try:
	os.mkdir(direc)
	createFile(direc,
	"This is the main README of the project. The same is divided into 3 different folders: firmware, pcb and stl.")
	os.mkdir(direc + '/stl')
	createFile(direc + '/stl',
	"This is where the STL files are as well as files from other CAD software. Here can also be stored files like .gcode, ready to print!")
	os.mkdir(direc + '/firmware')
	createFile(direc + '/firmware',
	"This is where the firmware files are. Normally, here is where is created a PlatformIO project regarding the current microcontroller.")
	os.mkdir(direc + '/pcb')
	createFile(direc + '/pcb',
	"This is where the pcb files are. Normally, here is where a KiCad project is created.")
	os.mkdir(direc + '/pcb/gerber')
	createFile(direc + '/pcb/gerber',
	"This is where the gerber files are. It can also be ziped.")
	os.mkdir(direc + '/pcb/svg')
	createFile(direc + '/pcb/svg',
	"This is where the .svg files are. These are normally used to show the FRONT and BACK side of the PCB.")
	os.mkdir(direc + '/pcb/bom')
	createFile(direc + '/pcb/bom',
	"This is where the bill of materials is. The BOM is showing through a HTML file using the InteractiveHtmlBom plugin for KiCad.")
	os.chdir(direc)
	if os.name == 'nt':
	self.addgit = subprocess.run(['git', 'init'], shell = True)
	else:
	self.addgit = subprocess.run(['git', 'init'])
	except IndexError:
	print("An exception occurred - Enter parameters!")
	self.info.set("An exception occurred - Enter parameters!")
	except FileNotFoundError:
	print("An exception occurred - Enter right path!")
	self.info.set("An exception occurred - Enter right path!")
	except FileExistsError:
	print("An exception occurred - File already exists!")
	self.info.set("An exception occurred - File already exists!")
	else:
	#GUI
	#self.infoMessage.configure(fg="green")
	self.info.set('SUCCESS! Your directory was created.')
	self.pathInput.delete(0, END)
	# terminal
	print('*****************************************')
	print("** Directory was created successfully! **")
	print('*****************************************')
	def __init__ (self, root):
	self.root = root
	self.var = StringVar()
	self.info = StringVar()
	self.pathMessage = Message(self.root, textvariable=self.var, width=250)
	self.pathMessage.grid(row=0, column=2,columnspan = 4, pady=5, padx = 5, sticky=W)
	self.infoMessage = Message(self.root, textvariable=self.info, width=250)
	self.infoMessage.grid(row=2, column = 2, columnspan = 4, pady=20, padx = 5, sticky=W)
	## OWN DEFAULT DIRECTORY
	self.var.set('/Users/nunonogueira/Documents/')
	## Info message
	self.info.set('%Console%')
	def choosePath():
	self.var.set(filedialog.askdirectory())
	def createDirectory():
	self.directoryName = self.pathInput.get()
	self.pathName = self.var.get()
	self.createDir(self.pathName + '/' + self.directoryName)
	self.btn = Button(self.root, text="Choose path", command = choosePath)
	self.btn.grid(row = 0, column=0, columnspan= 2, pady = 5, padx = 5)
	self.pathText = Label(self.root, text="Project Name:")
	self.pathText.grid(row = 1, column = 0, columnspan = 2, pady = 5, padx = 5)
	self.pathInput = Entry(self.root, bd = 2)
	self.pathInput.grid(row = 1, column = 2,columnspan = 2, pady = 5, padx = 5)
	self.create = Button(self.root, text ="Generate!", command = createDirectory)
	self.create.grid(row = 2,column = 0, pady = 20, padx = 5)
	window = Tk()
	window.title("")
	window.resizable(width=FALSE, height=FALSE)
	window.geometry("400x150")
	# Create Object
	gui = App(window)
	window.mainloop()

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