Working with files is an important component of programming since it involves reading from and writing to files. Python includes functions for handling file input/output tasks.
Reading from and Writing to Files
In Python, we utilize the ‘open()’ method to open a file. The ‘open()’ function requires two parameters: the file name and the mode in which the file should be opened. ‘r’ stands for reading, **‘w’ **stands for writing, **‘a’ **stands for appending, and **‘b’ **stands for binary mode. Here’s how you can create a new file and write some text to it:
file = open('example. txt', 'w') # Open the file in write mode
file. write('Hello, Python!') # Write a string to the file
file. close() # Always remember to close the file
To read from a file, you can use the read() method:
file = open('example. txt', 'r') # Open the file in read mode
content = file. read() # Read the content of the file
print(content) # Print the content
file. close() # Close the file
Exercise
Your objective now is to create a new text file called ‘my_file. txt,’ type ‘Learning Python is fun!’ into it, then reopen the file, read the content back, and print it.
Conclusion
The ability to handle files allows your programs to permanently store data, read from existing data sources, and generate structured outputs. Always remember to save your files after you’ve finished using them to maintain data integrity and free up system resources. Have fun coding!