Here are 5 practical Python scripts covering file operations, automation, and web requests, with clear explanations and ready-to-use code:

1. Batch Rename Files

Use Case: Rename all files in a folder (add prefix/suffix/change extension).

import os

def batch_rename(path, prefix="", suffix="", new_ext=None):
    for filename in os.listdir(path):
        name, ext = os.path.splitext(filename)
        new_name = f"{prefix}{name}{suffix}{new_ext if new_ext else ext}"
        os.rename(
            os.path.join(path, filename),
            os.path.join(path, new_name))

# Example: Add prefix "backup_" to all .txt files
batch_rename("/path/to/folder", prefix="backup_", new_ext=".txt")

2. Download Images from URLs

Use Case: Download multiple images from a list of URLs.

import requests

def download_images(urls, save_dir="images"):
    os.makedirs(save_dir, exist_ok=True)
    for i, url in enumerate(urls):
        try:
            response = requests.get(url, stream=True)
            with open(f"{save_dir}/image_{i+1}.jpg", "wb") as f:
                for chunk in response.iter_content(1024):
                    f.write(chunk)
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Failed to download {url}: {e}")

# Example
urls = ["https://example.com/1.jpg", "https://example.com/2.jpg"]
download_images(urls)

3. Convert CSV to Excel

Use Case: Automate data format conversion.

import pandas as pd

def csv_to_excel(csv_path, excel_path):
    df = pd.read_csv(csv_path)
    df.to_excel(excel_path, index=False)

# Example
csv_to_excel("data.csv", "data.xlsx")

4. Schedule Computer Shutdown

Use Case: Shut down the system after a delay (Windows only).

import os
import time

def schedule_shutdown(minutes):
    seconds = minutes * 60
    print(f"Shutting down in {minutes} minutes...")
    time.sleep(seconds)
    os.system("shutdown /s /t 1")

# Example: Shutdown after 30 minutes
schedule_shutdown(30)

5. Extract All Links from a Webpage

Use Case: Scrape hyperlinks from a URL.

from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
import requests

def extract_links(url):
    try:
        response = requests.get(url)
        soup = BeautifulSoup(response.text, "html.parser")
        return [a["href"] for a in soup.find_all("a", href=True)]
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")
        return []

# Example
links = extract_links("https://example.com")
print(links)

5 practical Python scripts for 2025