latest.py

#!/usr/bin/python

# Usage : python latest.py -n 5 -0 ~/foo | xargs -0 -J% cp % /tmp

import os.path
import getopt
import glob
import sys

def main():
    n = 1
    dir_name = ""
    zero = False
    optlist,args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:],'n:0')

    for o,a in optlist:
        if o == "-n":
            n = int(a)
        elif o == "-0":
            zero = True
    if len(args) > 0:
        dir_name = args[0]

    dir_name = os.path.abspath(dir_name)
    pattern = os.path.join(dir_name,"*")

    files = sorted(glob.glob(pattern),
                   cmp=(lambda a,b: cmp(os.path.getmtime(b)
                                       ,os.path.getmtime(a))))
    for i in xrange(min(n,len(files))):
        if(zero):
            sys.stdout.write(files[i]+'\0')
        else:
            print files[i]

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()