Comparing file with a list of files using filecmp.cmp(file1, file2)

Question

I have a function with three args

• list_to_copy: list of files that I want to copy.
• list_to_avoid: list that I don't want to copy, that might exists in list_to_copy
• the destination is the path where the file is going to be.

    def copy_files(self, list_to_copy, list_to_avoid, destination):
        # Copy a file from list to destination making sure file is not 
        # duplicated regarding the name.
        for copied_file in list_to_copy:
            for avoid_file in list_to_avoid:
                if not filecmp.cmp(copied_file, avoid_file):
                    shutil.copy(copied_file, destination)

My main problem is I don't know how to compare copied_file with all files in list_to_avoid using filecmp.cmp(file1, file2)

---

Note checking by name of the file (string) isn't efficient for me.

Answer 1

from filecmp import cmp
from shutil import copy
from os import scandir
def copy_files(list_to_copy,destination):
# Copy a file from list to destination making sure file is not duplicated regarding the content.
    for copied_file in list_to_copy:
        for avoid_file in scandir(destination):
            if cmp(copied_file,avoid_file):
                break
        else:
            copy(copied_file, destination)