Delete files that were used in python code

Question

I have a code that creates some tif images in .qgis2 folder, but I want, in the end, to delete these files. How do I do that?

I try with os.remove but it gives me the error32, that said that the process can´t access to file because this is used by another process.

Answer 1

There will be a lock on the file, which will remain until the python process is closed. To get around this, create your TIF images in a subprocess. Then when the subprocess finishes it will release the lock and you can delete the files.

Answer 2

If the tif images are referenced in your Python code as variables, you will need to delete the variables once the code has finished running, in order to remove the lock. You can do this with the 'del' command, e.g.

del variableName

This will then enable you to delete the tif files. The following post on Stack Overflow might help with deleting the tif files from within your Python code: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6996603/how-do-i-delete-a-file-or-folder-in-python

os.remove should do the job once the lock has been removed.

Answer 3

the_bonze is right; deleting the variable with the del command kills whatever process is using the file within your routine. You get the "referenced before assignment" error because after you delete the variable, it is not saved.

When you remove the file, you have to specify the path. For example:

del variable

os.remove('C:\folder\file.type')

Answer 4

There is an alternative way to delete the unnecessary folder. It overcomes the problem with the locked files because it ends up the process. If you are running your scripts with a batch file in OSGeo4W64 you can do the following:

1) Write this at the end of your script

def Delete():
    with open(workspace+'Delete.py',"w") as wrfile:
        wrfile.write('import shutil\n')
        wrfile.write('shutil.rmtree("'+workspaceToDelete+'")')
Delete()

This will create a new python file that will delete this specific folder.

2) In the batch file, you have both your usual file and the name of the new one that is going to delete the folder. The batch file ends up as follows:

python3 D:/.../UsualScript.py

pause

python3 D:/.../Delete.py