Monitor files being accessed recursively

filesystem_watch.py

#!/bin/env python

import datetime, glob, os, sys

try:
    ## Default to pwd
    root = './'
    ## For python files in the current folder (and subfolders recursively) this would be `filesystem_watch.py './' '/*.py'`
    pattern = ''

    if len(sys.argv) > 1:
        root = str(sys.argv[1])
        if len(sys.argv) > 2:
            pattern = str(sys.argv[2])

    print("Generating files list...")
    files = [{'path': file_path, 'access': os.stat(file_path).st_atime, 'exists': True} for file_path in glob.glob(root + '/**' + pattern, recursive=True)]
    print("ready.")

    while True:
        for file in files:
            if file['exists']:
                try:
                    access = os.stat(file['path']).st_atime
                    if access > file['access']:
                        print("{} accessed at {}".format(file['path'], str(datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(access))))
                        file['access'] = access
                except FileNotFoundError:
                    file['exists'] = False
except KeyboardInterrupt:
    print('done')