PathOps module (overview)

PathOps is a rich filesystem toolkit that combines path helpers, directory queries, transfer utilities, deletions, archive helpers, and data loaders into one object, It builds on :class:sciwork.fs.base.PathOpsBase, adding features layer by layer so that high-level workflows can stay anchored to a single base_dir and share configuration such as dry-run mode or interactive prompts.

Use the top-level import for the full feature set:

from sciwork import PathOps

fs = PathOps.from_cwd(dry_run=False)

Why PathOps?

• Single context - keep a project root in base_dir and resolve relative paths consistently across helpers like resolve_path or transfer.
• Dry-run everywhere - flip dry_run=True during rehearsals to log actions instead of touching the filesystem.
• Prompt-aware - interactive operations (delete, selection, prompts) reuse input_func or sciwork.console.Prompter when available.
• Composable mixins - the PathOps class bundles specialized helpers (create, delete, select, archives, data loaders, ...) so you can call them off a single instance.

Module map

Layer	Responsibilities	Methods
Paths	Resolve/rename paths, prompt for user input, coerce file/folder paths.	coerce_file_path, coerce_folder_path, resolve_path, rename_path, prompt_path
Dirs	Validate directories, detect emptiness, wait for new files, temporary folders.	require_dir, try_get_dir, is_folder_empty, wait_until_not_empty, temp_dir
Create	Touch files, create folders, ensure parents.	ensure_parent, touch_file, create_file, make_folder
Delete	Remove paths or clear folders with optional trash + confirmation.	delete, trash, clear_folder
Transfer	Copy or move paths with overwrite and metadata controls.	transfer
GetContents	List directory entries with filters and metadata collection.	get_files_and_folders, get_contents
Select	Choose one or many entries interactively or programmatically.	select_paths
Open	Launch system file explorers/viewers.	open_folder_and_wait
TreeOps	Materialise directory trees from adjacency dictionaries.	build_tree
Archives	Extract or build ZIP/TAR/RAR archives safely.	extract_archive, compress_to_archive
Load	Dispatch data files (CSV, Excel, JSON, ...) to the right loader.	any_data_loader
fs.names	Function creating timestamped filename.	create_timestamped_name

Where to go next

• PathOps basics — construct instances, work with base_dir and dry_run, and discover essential helpers.
• Recipes — quick, task-oriented examples (create folders, copy trees, select files, extract archives, load data).
• API reference — autogenerated documentation for each class.