inotify substitute for Windows

win_notify.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
# coding: utf8
# GistID: 8949940

from os.path import abspath, expanduser


def on_modify(path, callback):
    """ Watch a path for changes by write time, recursively.

    Params
    ------
    path : str
        The path to watch

    callback : callable
        A callback function to be called when ``path`` changes.

    """

    path_to_watch = abspath(expanduser(path))

    # FindFirstChangeNotification sets up a handle for watching
    # file changes. The first parameter is the path to be
    # watched; the second is a boolean indicating whether the
    # directories underneath the one specified are to be watched;
    # the third is a list of flags as to what kind of changes to
    # watch for. We're just looking at file additions / deletions.
    change_handle = win32file.FindFirstChangeNotification(
        path_to_watch, 0, win32con.FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_LAST_WRITE)

    # Loop forever, listing any file changes. The WaitFor... will
    # time out every half a second allowing for keyboard interrupts
    # to terminate the loop.
    try:
        while True:
            result = win32event.WaitForSingleObject(change_handle, 500)
            # If the WaitFor... returned because of a notification (as
            # opposed to timing out or some error) then look for the
            # changes in the directory contents.
            if result == win32con.WAIT_OBJECT_0:
                try:
                    callback()
                except Exception as e:
                    print "Exception: {}".format(e)
                win32file.FindNextChangeNotification(change_handle)
    finally:
            win32file.FindCloseChangeNotification(change_handle)