Mastering File Handling in Python: Read, Write, Repeat  

Working with files is a fundamental skill every Python programmer must master. Whether you're building a data analysis script, a logging system, or a simple text-based application, file handling lets you store and retrieve information with ease.

In this beginner-friendly guide, you’ll learn how to:

•  Open and read from text files
• Write data to files (create or append)
• Use the with statement to handle files safely
• Solve real-world problems with hands-on example
  
  

By the end of this post, you'll be comfortable working with file I/O in Python — one of the most useful skills for automation, data processing, and more.

🔰 Python File Reading Tutorial

1. Open a File

Python provides the built-in open() function to open a file:

file = open("example.txt", "r")  # "r" = read mode 

• "example.txt" is the name of the file.
• "r" means read mode (default mode if omitted). 

2. Read File Content

Read Entire File at Once

Python provides the built-in open() function to open a file:

file = open("example.txt", "r") 
content = file.read() 
print(content) 
file.close() 

3. Read Lines into a list

You can use readlines() function to read the txt file line by line. 

file = open("example.txt", "r") 
lines = file.readlines() 
print(lines) 
file.close() 

4. Use with Statement (Best Practice)

This automatically closes the file after use:

with open("example.txt", "r") as file:
     content = file.read()
     print(content) 

No need to call file.close()!

Examples: 

1.  Suppose this is the content of your file:

with open("example.txt", "r") as file:      content = file.read()      print(content) 

• Visit the official Anaconda website (https://www.anaconda.com/products/distribution).
• Choose the appropriate version for your operating system.
• Select the latest Python 3.x version for download.

2. Install Anaconda

For Windows:

1. Double-click the downloaded .exe file.
2. Follow the installation wizard:
   • Choose "Install for me only" (recommended).
   • Important: Check "Add Anaconda to my PATH environment variable".

For macOS:

1. Open the downloaded .pkg file.
2. Follow the installation prompts.
3. Use the default settings for a smooth setup.

For Linux:

1. Open a terminal window.
2. Run the installation script:

   bash
   bash ~/Downloads/Anaconda3-2024.10-Linux-x86_64.sh 

3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

3. Verify Your Installation

bash
python --version 

Supercharge Your Python Environment

1. Create a Conda Environment:

   bash
   conda create --name myproject python=3.x conda activate myproject 

2. Install Essential Packages:

   bash
   conda install numpy pandas matplotlib scikit-learn 

3. Launch Jupyter Notebook:

   bash
   jupyter notebook 

python
print("Hello, Python World!") 

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