Proof of concept to watch a directory for changes with python on windows XP

gistfile1.txt

import os
import win32file
import win32con

ACTIONS = {
    1: "Created",
    2: "Deleted",
    3: "Updated",
    4: "Renamed from something",
    5: "Renamed to something"
}
FILE_LIST_DIRECTORY = 0x0001
path_to_watch = "."
hDir = win32file.CreateFile(
        path_to_watch,
        FILE_LIST_DIRECTORY,
        win32con.FILE_SHARE_READ | win32con.FILE_SHARE_WRITE,
        None,
        win32con.OPEN_EXISTING,
        win32con.FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS,
        None
)
while 1:
    results = win32file.ReadDirectoryChangesW(
            hDir,
            1024,
            True,
            win32con.FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_FILE_NAME |
            win32con.FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_DIR_NAME |
            win32con.FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_ATTRIBUTES |
            win32con.FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SIZE |
            win32con.FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_LAST_WRITE |
            win32con.FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SECURITY,
            None,
            None
    )
    for action, file in results:
        full_filename = os.path.join(path_to_watch, file)
        print full_filename, ACTIONS.get(action, "Unknown")