filename used by shelve

[Nemesis]

In the python docs about shelve module I read:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
open( filename[,flag='c'[,protocol=None[,writeback=False[,binary=None]]]])
Open a persistent dictionary. The filename specified is the base filename
for the underlying database. As a side-effect, an extension may be
added to the filename and more than one file may be created.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

So the real filename may be different from the argument passed to
"open". I have this problem, I want to delete (in some circustances) the
file created by shelve.open, how can I know which is the name of this
file (or files) ?

 

[Fredrik Lundh]

So the real filename may be different from the argument passed to
"open". I have this problem, I want to delete (in some circustances) the
file created by shelve.open, how can I know which is the name of this
file (or files) ?

if you put the shelve in a subdirectory, and nuke the entire directory when
done, you don't have to know the names.

dbfile = "mydatabase"
if not os.path.isdir(dbfile):
os.makedirs(dbfile)
db = shelve.open(os.path.join(dbfile, "data"), ...)

...

db.close()
del db

...

shutil.rmtree(dbfile)

</F>

 

[Nemesis]

Mentre io pensavo ad una intro simpatica "Fredrik Lundh" scriveva:

if you put the shelve in a subdirectory, and nuke the entire directory when
done, you don't have to know the names.

dbfile = "mydatabase"
if not os.path.isdir(dbfile):
os.makedirs(dbfile)
db = shelve.open(os.path.join(dbfile, "data"), ...)
shutil.rmtree(dbfile)

Hmm, this is a good idea. Thanks.

Anyway I think that shelve should provide a method which returns the
files used by the backend database, and the argument "filename" can
confuse users, it should be named "dbname".