backup-to-zip

Author: Nicholas P. Taliceo

Date: 01 August 2017

Purpose

To create a Python script that allows for an input directory and copies all folders and files in said folder and creates a compressed ZIP file in an output directory.

Inspiration for this script is to backup an external harddrive to a cloud-based storage system. Of course, this will also work for specific file paths, or general harddrives.

Details

• Utilizes Python 3
• Originally built within PyCharm 2016.2.3; Windows 10

Usage

• Open backup_to_zip.py in a Python 3+ IDE. Run this script.
• The first parameter is the directory to be saved.
  • Input the pathname exactly as it appears in Windows Explorer.
• The second parameter is the output path, aka, where the ZIP file will be saved.

Further Work

• Ideally, it would be great to figure out a way to programmatically backup my files, say at 09:00 on the first of every month.
  • This can only be done if the cloud storage path is logged-in and if the computer is on.
  • If the computer isn't on, then begin backing up files upon start up.