How to delete files with a Python script from a FTP server which are older than 7 days?

Question

I would like to write a Python script which allows me to delete files from a FTP Server after they have reached a certain age. I prepared the scipt below but it throws the e

Answer 1

OK, well rather than analyze the code you have posted any further, here's an example instead that might put you on the right track.

from ftplib import FTP
import re

pattern = r'.* ([A-Z|a-z].. .. .....) (.*)'

def callback(line):
    found = re.match(pattern, line)
    if (found is not None):
        print found.groups()

ftp = FTP('myserver.wherever.com')
ftp.login('elvis','presley')
ftp.cwd('testing123')
ftp.retrlines('LIST',callback)

ftp.close()
del ftp

Run it and you'll get output something like this, which should be a start towards what you're trying to achieve. To finish it out you'd need to parse the first result into a datetime, compare it with "now" and use ftp.delete() to get rid of the remote file if it's too old.

>>> 
('May 16 13:47', 'Thumbs.db')
('Feb 16 17:47', 'docs')
('Feb 23  2007', 'marvin')
('May 08  2009', 'notes')
('Aug 04  2009', 'other')
('Feb 11 18:24', 'ppp.xml')
('Jan 20  2010', 'reports')
('Oct 10  2005', 'transition')
>>>