python / python/cpython

Use Windows `IFileOperation` to implement copying/moving/deleting in pathlib

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#131,262 5 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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OS-windows performance stdlib topic-pathlib type-feature
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Feature or enhancement

Proposal:

The Windows-only IFileOperation API allows us to copy, move and delete files and directories using the same code as explorer.exe. We could use this to provide pathlib.Path.copy(), move() and _delete() - it should be much faster, and in the case of _delete() it would work around #84324

Has this already been discussed elsewhere?

This is a minor feature, which does not need previous discussion elsewhere

Links to previous discussion of this feature:

No response

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First steps

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  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with the linked Windows IFileOperation API and the existing pathlib.Path copy, move, and _delete entry points. Determine how the Windows-only implementation should expose these operations and verify that copying, moving, and deleting files and directories use the API while addressing the deletion problem described in #84324.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
operating-systems
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
38/100

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