Python - File Handling

File Handling - Python module Y110

How to open a file in Python and how to read it line by line into a string, or all at once, into a list. Also how to overwrite a file or add to an existing file, and how to check existing files on your file system.

This topic is presented on public course Python Programming

Examples from our training material

coster.py	Read whole file, report on lines matching a pattern
costhuge.py	Reading a file line by line
dmoz.py	Parsing a large file, looking for matching lines
dsa	polymorphism in action
fff	Jumping around an input file (random access)
fgfg	Improved version - program to handle data recently appended to a log file
filechex	File checks - is it a directory, when was it modified
grabpage.py	Read from a URL as is reading from a file
lost.py	Trapping a non-existant file error
n2	Find the title of a web site
pinorder.py	List a directory sorted by age of object
pstat.py	Checking whether a file exists, and things about it ...
tablog.py	File overwrite and append in python

Opentalk forum discussions related to this topic

Running shell commands from Python
Huge files in Python over 4 Gbytes

Pictures

Writing a Python program

Background information

Some modules are available for download as a sample of our material or under an Open Training Notes License for free download from http://www.training-notes.co.uk.

Topics covered in this module

Opening and reading from files.
Writing files.
File system checks.
Reading a web page.

Course links

The following web pages are used as references / examples in this module

[Link] Adieu, plancher des vaches! (1999)
(at http://us.imdb.com/Title?0205725)

[Link] OUWO - Oxford University Wind Orchestra : Player Resources
(at http://users.ox.ac.uk/~ouwo/)

[Link] The Bate Collection of Musical Instruments
(at http://www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk/BCMIPage.html)

[Link] Oxford Bach Choir
(at http://users.ox.ac.uk/~azzopard/obc.html)

[Link] Saïd Business School : Home
(at http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk)

[Link] Department of Social Policy and Social Work.
(at http://marx.apsoc.ox.ac.uk/)

[Link] Homepage: Department of Sociology, University of Oxford
(at http://www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/)

[Link] INACCESSIBLE
(at http://www.orinst.ox.ac.uk/ics/chinese.htm)

[Link] Home page
(at http://www.crim.ox.ac.uk/)

[Link] Centre for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, University of Oxford
(at http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/)

[Link] Department of Politics and International Relations
(at http://www.politics.ox.ac.uk/)

[Link] Centre for the Study of African Economies, Home Page
(at http://www.csae.ox.ac.uk/)

[Link] Oxford University Department of Educational Studies
(at http://www.edstud.ox.ac.uk/)

[Link] Taylor Institution Library
(at http://www.taylib.ox.ac.uk/)

[Link] INACCESSIBLE
(at http://cebmh.warne.ox.ac.uk/cebmh/elmh/depression/guide/page1-catalan.html)

[Link] Vasco Mousinho de Quevedo Castelo Branco
(at http://users.ox.ac.uk/~kebl0779/quevedo/)

[Link] Swift
(at http://www.hertford.ox.ac.uk/alumni/swift.htm)

[Link] Sheep Bingo!
(at http://www.sheepbingo.co.uk)

[Link] Perl.com: The Source for Perl -- perl development, perl conferences
(at http://www.perl.com)

[Link] PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
(at http://www.php.net)

[Link] MySQL: The World's Most Popular Open Source Database
(at http://www.mysql.com)

[Link] Tcl Developer Site
(at http://www.tcl.tk)

We check these links from time to time with a spider written in PHP. Latest full check was on Saturday, 12th June 2004. Titles are extracted from the web pages listed.

Complete learning

If you are looking for a complete course and not just a information on a single subject, visit our Listing and schedule page.

Well House Consultants specialise in training courses in Python, Perl, PHP, and MySQL. We run Private Courses throughout the UK (and beyond for longer courses), and Public Courses at our training centre in Melksham, Wiltshire, England. It's surprisingly cost effective to come on our public courses - even if you live in a different country or continent to us.

We have a technical library of over 600 books on the subjects on which we teach. These books are available for reference at our training centre. Also available is the Opentalk Forum for discussion of technical questions.