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It would be a nightmare to download various files manually from the Internet in your daily routine. In this case, the Wget Python command will come in great handy.
The option allows users to automate their file downloads, saving both time and effort. The following tutorial will introduce the basics about the Wget and how to use it effectively.
What Is The Wget Command In Python?
Wget is a free command-line program, which has been around for more than 25 years. This one is often used to retrieve files from such web services like HTTPS, FTP, and HTTP.
Combining this command with Python, you can download and scrape files from the web without any limit. The Wget enables users to turn a Python script into a full-fledged web crawling solution easily. Here are some benefits of this command:
- Creates data sets for business and academic goals. With Wget, you can easily scrape one or various websites’ content.
- Monitors large websites from different places and networks all over the world.
- Personalized content mapping with various personas.
How To Use The Wget Python Command
Run With A Subprocess Package
The Popen function in the subprocess package is one of the most commonly used commands to run the Wget from a Python script. The popen()
executes an independent instance of the command processor in an operating system.
Here, if the True verbose argument is set, it will return the command’s output. The wget command should be given a URL with specific options to achieve a goal.
Download A File
The wget command and file URL can be passed to download a specific file from the server. Let’s set verbose to True to do the task:
runcmd("wget https://www.scrapingbee.com/images/logo-small.png", verbose = True)
Here, the URL is assigned to the server’s IP address while it sends an HTTP request. All the files and directories will be stored in the Wget without changing the original names.
Download A Custom Folder’s File
To download a specific file from a custom folder, the –directory-prefix
and -P
flag should be passed to the destination one.
runcmd("wget --directory-prefix=download_folder https://www.scrapingbee.com/images/logo-small.png", verbose = False)
runcmd("wget -P download_folder https://www.scrapingbee.com/images/logo-small.png", verbose = False)
Download To A File Name
Using the wget allows users to change the destination folder and specify its local name. Use the built-in -O
flag or the –output-document
and attach the desired name.
Download The Latest Version
Sometimes, you only want to download some specific files among a wide range of versions. Use the –timestamping
option to use this feature.
runcmd("wget --timestamping https://www.scrapingbee.com/images/logo-small.png", verbose = True)
Recursive Retrieval
Without a shade of doubt, recursive retrieval is one of the most interesting features of Wget. It allows users to parse or retrieve all pages on a given URL. At the same time, the files will be referred to the initial document through href and src attributes.
Conclusion
Wget is one of the most convenient solutions to download files from any protocol. Working with Python, this function allows for recursive file download with an automatic process.
The article has offered all the basics about this one and guided how to use the wget Python command.
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