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CLASS XII COMPUTER SCIENCE NOTES Chapter 2 File Handling in Python

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17 views

CLASS XII COMPUTER SCIENCE NOTES Chapter 2 File Handling in Python

Uploaded by

nareshprakash65
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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NOTES

Class 12
Computer Science
Chapter 2 - File Handling in Python

Introduction to File Handling


File handling is an essential aspect of programming, enabling the storage,
retrieval, and manipulation of data on disk. Python provides built-in functions and
modules to handle file operations such as reading, writing, appending, and more.
Types of Files
1. Text Files:
o Store data in human-readable format.
o Examples: .txt, .csv, .html.
2. Binary Files:
o Store data in binary format (non-readable by humans).
o Examples: .bin, .exe, .jpg.
File Operations
1. Opening a File:
o Files can be opened using the open() function.
o Syntax: file_object = open(filename, mode)
o Common Modes:
 'r': Read mode (default mode).
 'w': Write mode.
 'a': Append mode.
 'b': Binary mode (used with other modes like 'rb', 'wb').
 '+': Read and write mode (used with other modes like 'r+',
'w+').
2. Reading from a File:
o read(size): Reads specified number of characters from the file. If size
is omitted, it reads the entire file.
o readline(): Reads a single line from the file.
o readlines(): Reads all lines from the file and returns them as a list.
Example:
python
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with open('example.txt', 'r') as file:
content = file.read()
print(content)
3. Writing to a File:
o write(string): Writes the specified string to the file.
o writelines(list): Writes a list of strings to the file.
Example:
python
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with open('example.txt', 'w') as file:
file.write('Hello, world!\n')
file.writelines(['Line 1\n', 'Line 2\n'])
4. Appending to a File:
o Similar to writing, but the content is added to the end of the file
instead of overwriting it.
Example:
python
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with open('example.txt', 'a') as file:
file.write('Appended text.\n')
5. Closing a File:
o It's essential to close a file after performing operations to free up
system resources.
o file.close()
o Using the with statement automatically closes the file after the block
is executed.
File Handling Functions
• open(): Opens a file and returns a file object.
• read(size): Reads size bytes from the file.
• readline(): Reads a single line from the file.
• readlines(): Reads all lines from the file.
• write(string): Writes a string to the file.
• writelines(list): Writes a list of strings to the file.
• close(): Closes the file.
Working with Text Files
Example to read from a text file:
python
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with open('example.txt', 'r') as file:
data = file.read()
print(data)
Example to write to a text file:
python
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with open('output.txt', 'w') as file:
file.write('This is a sample text.')
Working with Binary Files
Reading from a binary file:
python
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with open('image.jpg', 'rb') as file:
data = file.read()
print(data)
Writing to a binary file:
python
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with open('output.bin', 'wb') as file:
file.write(b'\x00\x01\x02\x03')
File Handling using os and os.path Modules
1. Checking if a File Exists:
python
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import os
if os.path.exists('example.txt'):
print('File exists.')
else:
print('File does not exist.')
2. Deleting a File:
python
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os.remove('example.txt')
3. Renaming a File:
python
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os.rename('old_name.txt', 'new_name.txt')
4. Creating a Directory:
python
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os.mkdir('new_directory')
5. Deleting a Directory:
python
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os.rmdir('new_directory')
Exception Handling in File Operations
Using try-except to handle file operation errors:
python
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try:
with open('example.txt', 'r') as file:
data = file.read()
print(data)
except FileNotFoundError:
print('File not found.')
except IOError:
print('Error while reading the file.')
Summary
File handling is a crucial aspect of programming that allows for the efficient
storage, retrieval, and manipulation of data. Python provides a robust set of
functions and methods to handle files, ensuring that data operations are
performed smoothly and efficiently. Proper exception handling ensures that any
errors during file operations are managed gracefully, maintaining the stability and
reliability of the program.

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