#with open("path","r") as f:
# (put logic to read file here)Reading and Writing to Files in Python
Fundamentals of Data Science
We have already seen how to use the read_csv commands (in R and python/pandas) to read data from files into dataframes/tibbles. But sometimes we need to work directly with text files.
The basics
This structure guarantees that the file will be properly closed when you’re done.
Slurp up the whole file into a string.
with open("data/gettysburg.txt","r") as f:
data = f.read()
len(data)1477lines = data.split('\n')
for x in lines[:10]:
print(x) Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Read the file line by line
with open("data/gettysburg.txt","r") as f:
for line in f:
print(line) Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Read a line from the file
with open("data/gettysburg.txt","r") as f:
line = f.readline()
print(line) Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Slurp the file into a list
with open("data/gettysburg.txt","r") as f:
line_list = f.readlines()
lowercase = [x.lower() for x in line_list]
lowercase[' four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.\n',
'\n',
'now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. we are met on a great battle-field of that war. we have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. it is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.\n',
'\n',
'but, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. the brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. it is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. it is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under god, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.\n']Writing to a file
An entire string to the file. This will overwrite what is in the file.
with open("data/gettysburg_lower.txt","w") as f:
f.write('\n'.join(lowercase))One line at a time. This will overwrite what is in the file.
with open("data/gettysburg_lower.txt","w") as f:
for x in lowercase:
f.write(x+"\n")Appending to a file
with open("data/gettysburg_lower.txt","a") as f:
f.write("This goes at the end\n")Working with directories (folders)
import os
import shutil
#os.getcwd()
#os.chdir('/home/jet08013')
#os.getcwd()
#files = os.listdir('.')
#os.rename()
#shutil.copy()