writing backup program in python
<p>I found this tutorial in A Byte of Python, but do not understand it:</p>

<pre><code>import os
import time

source = [r'C:\Users\Desktop\Stuff']

target_dir = 'C:\Users\Backup'

target = target_dir + time.strftime('%Y%m%d%H%M%S') + '.zip'

zip_command = 'zip -qr "%s" %s' % (target, ' '.join(source))

if os.system(zip_command) == 0:
    print 'Successful backup to', target
else:
    print 'Backup failed!'
</code></pre>

<p>After checking <code>help(os)</code> I do not understand why <code>os.system(zip_command)</code> would ever be zero. <code>.system()</code> does not return a Boolean, does it?</p>

<p>thanks.</p>
