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Python File Handling Guide

This document provides an overview of file handling in Python, detailing the types of files (text and binary), file operations (opening, writing, reading, and closing), and the use of the 'with' clause for automatic file closure. It also introduces the Pickle module for serialization and highlights key differences between various file handling methods. Good practices for file handling are emphasized, such as ensuring files are closed properly and using the correct modes for binary data.

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18 views3 pages

Python File Handling Guide

This document provides an overview of file handling in Python, detailing the types of files (text and binary), file operations (opening, writing, reading, and closing), and the use of the 'with' clause for automatic file closure. It also introduces the Pickle module for serialization and highlights key differences between various file handling methods. Good practices for file handling are emphasized, such as ensuring files are closed properly and using the correct modes for binary data.

Uploaded by

safak7248
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Class XII Computer Science

Quick Notes on Chapter: File Handling in Python

1. Introduction to Files

● Files allow data to be stored permanently on secondary storage devices.


● File types: Text files (human-readable) and Binary files (non-human-readable).

2. Types of Files

● Text Files: Contain plain text, stored as ASCII or UNICODE values. Common
extensions: .txt, .csv, .py.
● Binary Files: Contain non-text data like images, audio, video. Require specific software
to read/write.

3. File Operations

● Opening a File: Use open(filename, mode) to get a file object. Modes include:
○ 'r': Read
○ 'w': Write (overwrites if exists)
○ 'a': Append
○ 'b': Binary mode
○ +: Read/Write
● Closing a File: Use file_object.close() to free system resources.

4. Writing to Files

● write(): Writes a single string to a file.


● writelines(): Writes a sequence of strings (like a list or tuple) to a file.

5. Reading from Files

● read(n): Reads n bytes (or the entire file if n is not provided).


● readline(n): Reads one line or up to n bytes of a line.
● readlines(): Reads all lines and returns a list of strings.

6. File Pointers

● tell(): Returns the current position of the file pointer in bytes.


● seek(offset, from_what): Moves the file pointer to a specified location.
○ from_what values: 0 (start), 1 (current position), 2 (end).
7. Using with Clause

● Automatically closes the file after operations:


python

with open("file.txt", "r") as f:

content = f.read()

8. The Pickle Module

● Used for serialization (converting Python objects to byte streams) and deserialization.
● pickle.dump(): Writes serialized data to a binary file.
● pickle.load(): Reads serialized data from a binary file.

9. Common Programs

Creating the file:

with open("file.txt", "w") as f:

f.write("Hello, World!")

Reading a file:

with open("file.txt", "r") as f:

print(f.read())

Using Pickle

import pickle

with open("data.pkl", "wb") as f:

pickle.dump([1, 2, 3], f)

10. Key Differences

● Text vs Binary Files: Text is human-readable; Binary is not.


● readline() vs readlines(): readline() reads one line, while readlines()
returns all lines as a list.
● write() vs writelines(): write() adds one string; writelines() accepts an
iterable of strings.

11. Good Practices

● Always close files or use with to ensure files are closed automatically.
● For binary data, use appropriate modes like 'wb' or 'rb'.

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