My friend recently asked me for help with a common problem: they needed to upload files to a remote server, but didn't want to upload everything—just the files that had changed today. Manually checking modification dates for dozens of files? Not fun.
So I wrote a quick Python script to solve it.
The Problem
When you're syncing files to a remote server, uploading everything is inefficient and time-consuming. You really only need the files you've modified today—whether that's code you've been working on, documents you've edited, or data files you've processed.
The Solution
This get_latest_files_by_today() function scans a folder and returns only the files modified today, sorted with the most recent first:
def get_latest_files_by_today(folder_path: str) -> list:
It's straightforward:
- Validates the folder path to avoid errors
- Compares each file's modification date to today's date
- Sorts results by time (newest first)
- Returns clean filenames ready to use
The key insight is comparing just the date portion—ignoring the specific time—so anything touched today qualifies:
today = datetime.now().date()
modified_date = datetime.fromtimestamp(modified_timestamp).date()
if modified_date == today:
today_files.append((file_path, modified_timestamp))
Real-World Usage
My friend now runs this script at the end of their workday:
latest_files = get_latest_files_by_today("/path/to/project")
print(latest_files)
The output gives them an instant list of exactly which files need uploading to the remote server. No guesswork, no manual checking, no accidentally missing a file.
Beyond File Uploads
While we built this for upload workflows, it's useful anytime you need to track today's file activity:
- Creating daily backups of changed files
- Reviewing what you worked on before leaving for the day
- Monitoring build outputs or logs
- Checking which documents were edited during a meeting
Simple Tools, Big Impact
This script uses only Python's standard library—no external dependencies, no complex setup. Just point it at a folder and get your results.
Sometimes the most helpful code isn't the most sophisticated. It's the utility that solves a real problem in 40 lines, saves you 15 minutes every day, and just works.
Got a folder that needs smart file filtering? Give this script a try.
import os
from datetime import datetime
def get_latest_files_by_today(folder_path: str) -> list:
"""
Retrieves and sorts files in a given folder, returning only those modified today.
Args:
folder_path (str): The path to the folder to scan.
Returns:
list: A list of full filenames (name + extension) of files modified today,
sorted by modification time (latest first).
"""
if not os.path.isdir(folder_path):
print(f"Error: Folder '{folder_path}' does not exist.")
return []
today = datetime.now().date()
today_files = []
for filename in os.listdir(folder_path):
file_path = os.path.join(folder_path, filename)
if os.path.isfile(file_path):
modified_timestamp = os.path.getmtime(file_path)
modified_date = datetime.fromtimestamp(modified_timestamp).date()
if modified_date == today:
today_files.append((file_path, modified_timestamp))
# Sort files by modification time in descending order (latest first)
today_files.sort(key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True)
# Extract only the full filenames
sorted_filenames = [os.path.basename(file_path) for file_path, _ in today_files]
return sorted_filenames
# Example usage:
current_directory = os.getcwd()
latest_files = get_latest_files_by_today(current_directory)
print(latest_files)
# Or with a specific folder:
# my_folder = "/path/to/your/folder"
# latest_files_in_folder = get_latest_files_by_today(my_folder)
# print(latest_files_in_folder)
output:
/Users/vmac/Documents/Code/Python/.venv/bin/python /Users/vmac/Documents/Code/Python/latestfile.py
Files changed today ['latestfile.py', 'abc.py']
Process finished with exit code 0
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