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File IO in Python
File Input/Output (IO) operations allow you to read from and write to files. Python provides built-in functions and methods for file handling.
1. Opening a File
Use the open()
function to open a file. It returns a file object and takes two parameters: the file name and the mode (e.g., read, write, append).
# Open a file in read mode
file = open('example.txt', 'r')
2. Reading from a File
After opening a file, you can read its contents using methods like read()
, readline()
, or readlines()
.
# Read entire content of the file
content = file.read()
print(content)
# Don't forget to close the file
file.close()
3. Writing to a File
Open a file in write ('w'
) or append ('a'
) mode to write data to it.
# Open a file in write mode
file = open('example.txt', 'w')
# Write a string to the file
file.write('Hello, World!')
# Close the file
file.close()
4. Using the with
Statement
The with
statement is used to wrap the execution of a block of code within methods defined by the context manager. It ensures that the file is properly closed after its suite finishes, even if an exception is raised.
# Using 'with' to open a file
with open('example.txt', 'r') as file:
# Read the file's content
content = file.read()
print(content)
5. File Modes
Different modes can be used with the open()
function:
'r'
: Read (default mode)'w'
: Write (truncates the file)'a'
: Append'b'
: Binary mode't'
: Text mode (default mode)'+'
: Read and write
# Example of opening a file in binary read mode
file = open('example.txt', 'rb')
# Example of opening a file in binary write mode
file = open('example.txt', 'wb')