python-tutorials/programs/backup_ver1.py

import os
import time

# 1. The files and directories to be backed up are
# specified in a list.
# Example on Windows:
# source = ['"C:\\My Documents"']
# Example on Mac OS X and Linux:
source = ['/Users/swa/notes']
# Notice we have to use double quotes inside a string
# for names with spaces in it.  We could have also used
# a raw string by writing [r'C:\My Documents'].

# 2. The backup must be stored in a
# main backup directory
# Example on Windows:
# target_dir = 'E:\\Backup'
# Example on Mac OS X and Linux:
target_dir = '/Users/swa/backup'
# Remember to change this to which folder you will be using

# 3. The files are backed up into a zip file.
# 4. The name of the zip archive is the current date and time
target = target_dir + os.sep + \
         time.strftime('%Y%m%d%H%M%S') + '.zip'

# Create target directory if it is not present
if not os.path.exists(target_dir):
    os.mkdir(target_dir)  # make directory

# 5. We use the zip command to put the files in a zip archive
zip_command = 'zip -r {0} {1}'.format(target,
                                      ' '.join(source))

# Run the backup
print('Zip command is:')
print(zip_command)
print('Running:')
if os.system(zip_command) == 0:
    print('Successful backup to', target)
else:
    print('Backup FAILED')