File Handling

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Prepared By:
Sudipta Baladhikary
Computer Science Department
Hariyana Vidya Mandir
6/24/2020
CLOSING A FILE:
• close() function is used to close a file

• Syntax: <file_objectname>.close( )

• Example:

csfile=open(“python.txt”)
csfile.close( )

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CLOSING A FILE:
• close() function breaks the link of file object/ file handle and the file on the disk.

• After close( ), no tasks can be performed on that file.

• open( ) is a built -in function used standalone whereas close( ) is a method used with file
handle object

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 Reading from files

read( ) readline( ) readlines( )

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READ FUNCTIONS:
Method Syntax Description

read( ) <filehandle>.read([n]) Read at most n bytes from the file.

If no n is specified, reads whole file up to the end of the file
Return type is string.

readline( ) <filehandle>.readline(([n]) Read individual lines of a file; reads a file till the newline
including the newline character.
Return type is stirng.

readlines( ) <filehandle>.readlines() Read all lines and returns them in a list

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EXAMPLE 1:

Text file

Python code to
read n bytes from
the above file
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OUTPUT:

Read 45 bytes from the file

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EXAMPLE 2:

Text file

Python code to
read whole file

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OUTPUT:

Read whole file

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EXAMPLE 3:

Text file

Python code to
read a line

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OUTPUT:

Read one line from a file

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EXAMPLE 4:

Text file

Python code to
read whole file
line by line using
loop

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OUTPUT:

Read whole file

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EXAMPLE 5:

Text file

Python code to read the file

line by line using for loop

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OUTPUT:

Read only three lines from file

REASON:
for a in csfile: is already iterating over the lines in the file, you are then attempting to
read a line within that iteration .

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EXAMPLE 6:

Text file

Python code to read whole

file using readlilnes()

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OUTPUT:

Read whole file and return as

list

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18

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