AQA A Level Computer Science

4.2 Fundamentals of data structures

4.2.1.3 File handling
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4.2.1.3 file handling - text
• For today…

– REVIEW: basic concepts (input/output)

– File handling
 4.2 Fundamentals of data structures
4.2.1.3 file handling - text
• INPUT

• We can INPUT data in a Python program:

name=str(input(‘Please type in your name’))

age=int(input(‘Please type in your age’))

height=float(input(‘Please type in your height’))

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• OUTPUT

• We can OUTPUT data from a Python program:

print(‘Your name is’,name)

print(‘Your age is’,age)

print(‘Your height is’,height)

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4.2.1.3 file handling - text
• FILE-HANDLING - WRITING

• It is possible (and useful!) to be able to SAVE data from inside

your Python program
• This is called FILE HANDLING (METHOD 1)

text_file=open(‘sample_file.txt’,‘wt’)
text_file.write(‘This is line one \n’)
text_file.write(‘This is line two \n’)
text_file.close()
 4.2 Fundamentals of data structures
4.2.1.3 file handling - text
• FILE-HANDLING - WRITING

• It is possible (and useful!) to be able to SAVE data from inside your

Python program
• This is called FILE HANDLING (METHOD 2)

filename=‘sample_file.txt’
with open(filename,‘wt’) as file:
file.write(‘This is line one \n’)
file.write(‘This is line two \n’)
# don’t need to close the file with #
this method
 4.2 Fundamentals of data structures
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TASK 1

• Write a Python program to write the following data to a

file:

Joe Bloggs
23 Any Street
AG1 4NM

• …called address_book
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TASK 2

• Write a Python program for a user to type in a

person’s name and address (name, street,
town, postcode), and then save that data to a
file called address_book
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TASK 3

• Write a Python program for a user to type in

five names, and save that data to a file called
class_list
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• As well as writing to and reading from files, you
can append (‘add’) to existing files (METHOD 1)

car_db=open(‘car_database.txt’,‘a’)
car_reg=str(input(‘Type in car registration’))
car_db.write(car_reg)
car_db.close()
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4.2.1.3 file handling - text
• As well as writing to and reading from files, you
can append (‘add’) to existing files (METHOD 2)

filename=‘car_database.txt’
car_registration=str(input(‘Type in car number plate’))
with open(filename,‘a’) as file:
file.write(car_registration)
# again… no need to CLOSE the file if you use WITH OPEN
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• TASK 4

• Create (and save) a text file in Notepad with a class list

of student names:

• Write a Python program which will read in the name of

an extra new student (who recently joined the class)
and append the student name to the previously-saved
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• TASK 5
• Create and save a PAC-MAN (or Ms Pac-man)
high-score table using a text editor e.g.

• Write a Python program which will read in a

new high-score value and initials, and append
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• FILE-HANDLING - READING

• As well as saving to a file, we can read existing

files (METHOD 1)

text_file=open(‘sample_file.txt’,‘rt’)
print(text_file.read())
text_file.close()
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4.2.1.3 file handling - text
• FILE-HANDLING - READING

• As well as saving to a file, we can read existing files (METHOD

2)

filename=‘sample_file.txt’
with open(filename) as file:
whole_file=file.readlines()

for each_line in whole_file:

print(each_line)
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• We can use features of the OS (‘operating
system’) to open up some applications from
inside Python

import os
os.startfile(‘sample_file.txt’)
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• TASK 6

• Using the import os feature in Python, create

a Python program which will read in 3 names
to be stored in a .csv (spreadsheet) file

• Your program should then open the .csv

spreadsheet file in MS Excel