File search program not efficient enough

Question

I have created a program to search for a file in the computer. But I feel it can be improved. Can anyone help me with this?

filesearch.py

import win32api
import os
import io
from fuzzywuzzy import process
def filesearch(self,*args):
    drives = win32api.GetLogicalDriveStrings()
    drives = drives.split('\000')[:-1]
    searchfile = ''.join((args))
    print("Searching...")
    try:
        q = io.open("index.txt", "r", encoding="utf-8")# I have created an index using index.py
        x = q.readlines()
        z = searchfile.lower()
        matches=[]
        basenames=[]
        for line in x:
            ##################################
            # I created this part so that if the file doesn't exist it skips the file. But I feel this doesn't work properly.
            #if os.path.exists(line) == False:
                #pass
            ##################################
            if z in os.path.basename(line):
                matches.append((line[:-1]))
        for match in matches:
            basenames.append(os.path.basename(match))
        s=process.extractOne(z, basenames)
        s=list(s)
        for item in matches:
            if s[0] == os.path.basename(item):
                print("Chosen file: %s"%(item) + "\nMatch percent: %s"%(s[1]))
                print (item)
                try:
                    os.startfile(item)
                    break
                except WindowsError:
                    print"Sir, I am not able to open the file."
        print("\nMatches:")
        for match in matches:
            print(match)
        q.close()
    # Ih created this part as a failsafe just in case the index isn't up to date
    except TypeError, e:
        print(e)
        searchfile = re.compile(searchfile,re.I|re.DOTALL)
        matches = []
        for drive in drives:
            if 'C' in drive:
                for folderName, subfolders, filenames in os.walk(drive):
                    # Skip the windows folder as it has to may files and doesn't have anything the user might need.
                    if 'Windows' in folderName:pass
                    else:
                        for filename in filenames:
                            thefile = os.path.join(folderName,filename)
                            mo = searchfile.search(thefile)
                            try:
                                #Update index in case the file didn't exist in the index.
                                matches.append(thefile)
                                q = io.open("index.txt", "a", encoding="utf-8")
                                q.write(("\n"+thefile).lower())
                                q.close()
                            except AttributeError:
                                pass
            else:
                for folderName, subfolders, filenames in os.walk(drive):
                    for filename in filenames:
                        thefile = os.path.join(folderName,filename)
                        mo = searchfile.search(thefile)
                        try:
                            #Update index in case the file didn't exist in the index.
                            matches.append(thefile)
                            q = io.open("index.txt", "a", encoding="utf-8")
                            q.write(("\n"+thefile).lower())
                            q.close()
                        except AttributeError:
                            pass
            if len(matches) != 0:
                print"\nMatches:"
                for m in matches:
                    print("\n"+m)

index.py

from __future__ import unicode_literals
import os, sys
import os
import io
x = open("index.txt", "w")
x.write("")
x.close()
from os.path import join

for (dirname, dirs, files) in os.walk('C:\\'):
for filename in files:
   thefile = os.path.join(dirname,filename)
   print thefile
   x = io.open("index.txt", "a", encoding="utf-8")
   x.write(("\n"+thefile).lower())
   x.close()
for (dirname, dirs, files) in os.walk('D:\\'):
for filename in files:
   thefile = os.path.join(dirname,filename)
   print thefile
   x = io.open("index.txt", "a", encoding="utf-8")
   x.write(("\n"+thefile).lower())
   x.close()
for (dirname, dirs, files) in os.walk('E:\\'):
for filename in files:
   thefile = os.path.join(dirname,filename)
   print thefile
   x = io.open("index.txt", "a", encoding="utf-8")
   x.write(("\n"+thefile).lower())
   x.close()

Also, I believe my program uses depth first search. Is there a better way to search for files on a computer?

Answer 1

A few points:

• Your program is neither breadth or depth-first; it uses whatever order os.walk returns.

• In index.py, opening and closing the index file so often when writing it is slow. Instead, put the open and close outside the for loop; also, use the with syntax for auto-closing, something like:

• In index.py, you're repeating code a lot. Consolidate it.

  from itertools import chain
  
  def drives():
      for drv in "C", "D", "E":
          yield from os.walk("{}:\\".format(drv))
  
  with io.open("index.txt", "a", encoding="utf-8") as x:
      for dirname, dirs, files in drives():
          for filename in files:
              thefile = os.path.join(dirname,filename)
              print thefile
              x.write(("\n"+thefile).lower())