File Handling in Python

File handling in Python refers to the process of reading from and writing to files using the built-in file objects
provided by Python. It allows you to work with files on your computer, perform operations like reading data from
files, writing data to files, modifying files, and more. Python provides several functions and methods to handle
files effectively.

The main steps involved in file handling in Python are:

1. Opening a File: To work with a file, you need to open it first. Python provides the `open()` function to open a
file, which takes the file path and the mode in which you want to open the file (e.g., read mode, write mode,
append mode, etc.).
2. Reading from a File: Once a file is opened in read mode, you can read the contents of the file using various
methods such as `read()`, `readline()`, or `readlines()`. These methods allow you to read the entire file, read a
single line, or read all lines as a list, respectively.
3. Writing to a File: When a file is opened in write mode, you can write data to the file using the `write()` method.
You can write strings, numbers, or any other data type to the file. If the file doesn't exist, it will be created, and if
it already exists, its contents will be overwritten.
4. Appending to a File: If you want to add new data to an existing file without overwriting its contents, you can
open the file in append mode. This allows you to append data to the end of the file using the `write()` method.
5. Closing a File: After you finish working with a file, it is important to close it using the `close()` method. Closing
a file ensures that any changes made to the file are saved and releases the resources associated with the file.

Additionally, Python provides the `with` statement, which is a more convenient way to handle files. It
automatically takes care of opening and closing the file, even if an exception occurs within the block of code.
File handling in Python is versatile and allows you to perform various operations on files, such as reading data,
writing data, appending data, creating directories, deleting files, and more. It provides flexibility and convenience
in working with files for tasks like data processing, file manipulation, and data storage.

Open a file
To open a file in Python, you can use the built-in `open()` function. The `open()` function takes two parameters:
the file path and the mode in which you want to open the file.
Here's the syntax for opening a file: file = open(file_path, mode)
The `file_path` parameter specifies the path to the file you want to open. It can be an absolute path (e.g.,
"C:/path/to/file.txt") or a relative path (e.g., "file.txt" or "../path/to/file.txt").
The `mode` parameter specifies the mode in which you want to open the file. The mode can be one of the
following:
`'r'`: Read mode - opens the file for reading (default).
`'w'`: Write mode - opens the file for writing. If the file already exists, its contents are truncated. If the file does
not exist, a new file is created.
`'a'`: Append mode - opens the file for appending. If the file exists, new data is appended to the end of the file.
If the file does not exist, a new file is created.
`'x'`: Exclusive creation mode - creates a new file and opens it for writing. If the file already exists, a
`FileExistsError` is raised.
`'b'`: Binary mode - opens the file in binary mode for reading or writing.
`'t'`: Text mode - opens the file in text mode (default).
After opening the file, you can perform read or write operations on the file object returned by the `open()` function.
Here's an example that opens a file in read mode and reads its contents:
file = open('file.txt', 'r')
content = file.read()
print(content)
file.close()
Remember to close the file using the `close()` method when you are done working with it to release the resources
associated with the file.

Reading from a File

To read from a file in Python, you can use the `read()` method of a file object. The `read()` method reads the
entire contents of the file and returns it as a string.
Here's an example of how to read from a file:
file = open('file.txt', 'r')
content = file.read()
print(content)
file.close()
In the example above, we open the file "file.txt" in read mode (`'r'`). Then, we use the `read()` method to read
the entire contents of the file and store it in the `content` variable. Finally, we print the content and close the file
using the `close()` method to release the resources associated with the file.
You can also read a specific number of characters from a file by passing the desired number as an argument to
the `read()` method. For example, `file.read(10)` will read the first 10 characters from the file.
Additionally, you can read the file line by line using the `readline()` method. This method reads and returns a
single line from the file each time it is called. You can use a loop to read all the lines in the file.
Here's an example of reading a file line by line:
file = open('file.txt', 'r')
for line in file:
print(line)
file.close()
In this example, we iterate over each line in the file using a `for` loop and print each line. The `file` object itself is
iterable, and each iteration returns the next line from the file. Finally, we close the file using the `close()` method.
Remember to always close the file after reading to release the resources associated with it.

Writing to a File
To write to a file in Python, you can use the `write()` or `writelines()` methods of a file object. The `write()` method
is used to write a single string to the file, while the `writelines()` method is used to write a list of strings to the file.
Here's an example of how to write to a file:
file = open('file.txt', 'w')
file.write('Hello, World!\n')
file.write('This is a new line.')
file.close()
In the example above, we open the file "file.txt" in write mode (`'w'`). Then, we use the `write()` method to write
the string "Hello, World!\n" to the file, where `\n` represents a new line. After that, we use the `write()` method
again to write the string "This is a new line." to the file. Finally, we close the file using the `close()` method.
If you want to write multiple lines to a file, you can use the `writelines()` method with a list of strings. Each string
in the list represents a line in the file.
Here's an example of writing multiple lines to a file:
lines = ['Line 1\n', 'Line 2\n', 'Line 3\n']
file = open('file.txt', 'w')
file.writelines(lines)
file.close()
In this example, we create a list `lines` containing three strings, where each string represents a line. Then, we
open the file "file.txt" in write mode and use the `writelines()` method to write the lines to the file. Finally, we close
the file using the `close()` method.
It's important to note that when you open a file in write mode (`'w'`), it will create a new file if it doesn't exist or
overwrite the existing file with the same name. If you want to append content to an existing file, you can open it
in append mode (`'a'`) instead of write mode.

Appending to a File
To append content to a file in Python, you can use the `write()` method or `writelines()` method of a file object in
append mode (`'a'`).
Here's an example of how to append to a file:
file = open('file.txt', 'a')
file.write('This is appended content.\n')
file.close()
In the example above, we open the file "file.txt" in append mode (`'a'`). Then, we use the `write()` method to
append the string "This is appended content.\n" to the file, where `\n` represents a new line. Finally, we close
the file using the `close()` method.
If you want to append multiple lines to a file, you can use the `writelines()` method with a list of strings, similar to
the write mode example.
Here's an example of appending multiple lines to a file:
lines = ['Appended line 1\n', 'Appended line 2\n', 'Appended line 3\n']
file = open('file.txt', 'a')
file.writelines(lines)
file.close()
In this example, we create a list `lines` containing three strings representing the lines to be appended. Then, we
open the file "file.txt" in append mode and use the `writelines()` method to append the lines to the file. Finally,
we close the file using the `close()` method.
When you open a file in append mode (`'a'`), it will create a new file if it doesn't exist or append the content to
the end of the existing file.
 Closing a File
Closing a file is an important step in file handling to release system resources and ensure that all the data is
properly written. In Python, you can close a file by using the `close()` method of the file object.
Here's an example of how to close a file:
file = open('file.txt', 'r')
# Perform read or write operations on the file
file.close()
In the example above, we first open the file "file.txt" in read mode (`'r'`). After performing any necessary read or
write operations on the file, we call the `close()` method to close the file.
It is recommended to always close the file after you are done with it. If you don't explicitly close the file, Python
will automatically close it when the file object is garbage collected. However, it's good practice to close the file
explicitly to avoid any resource leaks.
You can also use the `with` statement in Python, which automatically takes care of closing the file for you. Here's
an example:
with open('file.txt', 'r') as file:
# Perform read or write operations on the file
# No need to explicitly close the file
In this example, the `with` statement opens the file and assigns it to the `file` variable. You can perform any read
or write operations on the file within the indented block. Once you exit the block, the file will be automatically
closed, regardless of any exceptions that might occur.
Using the `with` statement is generally considered a more convenient and safer way to handle files in Python,
as it ensures that the file is always closed, even if an exception occurs.