awatch

awatch is an asynchronous file-system watcher function that is part of the Python package watchfiles. It provides an asynchronous generator that yields events when files or directories under a specified path change. Designed for cross-platform use, awatch relies on the operating system’s native file-watching facilities and can monitor directories recursively to track nested changes.

The primary purpose of awatch is to support development workflows that respond to code or asset changes, such as live reloading, automatic test execution, or incremental builds. Each yielded change typically includes the path involved and the nature of the change, such as a file being created, modified, or deleted. The asynchronous interface makes it well suited for integration with asyncio-based tooling and servers.

Usage and capabilities are centered on simplicity and integration. After installing the package (for example via pip), you import awatch from watchfiles and use it within an asynchronous context or coroutine. A common pattern is to loop over awatch with a target directory, handling changes as they arrive. Options commonly include toggling recursive watching and filtering certain paths or patterns, depending on library version.

Awatch is part of a broader ecosystem of file-watching tools available in Python. It aims to offer a lightweight, cross-platform alternative to heavier watchers, with a focus on asynchronous workflows and ease of use in development environments. See also related tools such as watchdog, inotify-based libraries, and platform-specific file watchers.