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Data File Handling Working With Binary Files

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Data File Handling Working With Binary Files

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© © All Rights Reserved
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Unit I: Computational Thinking and Programming - 2

Chapter-7: File Handling

File Handling -> Binary File


In this tutorial we will discuss the following topics

S. No. Topics

1 Binary Files

2 Python: pickle module

3 Writing Instance onto a file –Using pickle.dump()

4 Reading Instance from a binary file –Using pickle.load()

5 Operations performed using Binary files:

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Unit I: Computational Thinking and Programming - 2

Chapter-7: File Handling


Python: File Handling -> Binary Files

What is Binary file?


 In this type of file, there is no terminator for a line and the data is stored after
converting it into machine understandable binary language.
 Operations on binary files are faster as no translation required.
 Image files such as .jpg, .png, .gif, etc., and documents such as .doc, .xls, .pdf,
etc., all of them constitute binary files.

Some of the most common access modes are listed below:

Binary File Mode Use Description

This is the default mode. It Opens file for reading.


‘rb’ Read only
File must exists, otherwise Python raises I/O errors
This Mode Opens file for writing.
‘wb’ Write only If file does not exist, it creates a new file.
If file exists it truncates the file.
File is in write mode only, new data will be added
‘ab’ Append to the end of existing data i.e. no overwriting. If
file not exists it creates a new file
File must exists otherwise error is raised Both
‘r+b’ or ‘ rb+’ Read and write
reading and writing can take place
File is created if not exists, if exists data will be
‘w+b’ or ’wb+’ Write and read
truncated, both read and write allowed
Same as above but previous content will be
‘a+b’ or ‘ab+’ Write and read
retained and both read and write.
Opens a file for exclusive creation. If the file
‘xb’ Write
already exists, the operation fails.

Similar to w+ as it will create a new file if the file


‘xb+’ Write and read
does not exist. Otherwise, will raise FileExistsError.
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Unit I: Computational Thinking and Programming - 2

Chapter-7: File Handling


Python: pickle module
 Sometimes we need to write and read structure objects such as dictionary, list
and the objects/instance of a class on a file.
 Python has a module which does this work for us and is extremely easy to use.
This module is called pickle.
 It provides us with the ability to serialize (by using dump () method) and
deserialize (by using load () method) objects, i.e., to convert objects
into bitstreams which can be stored into files and later be used to reconstruct
the original objects.
 There are some data types which pickle cannot serialize, but it is still capable of
serializing most of the objects typically used in Python programs. A
comprehensive list of data types which pickle can serialize.

– None, True, and False


– integers, floating point numbers, complex numbers
– strings, bytes, bytearrays
– tuples, lists, sets, and dictionaries containing only picklable objects
– functions defined at the top level of a module (using def, not lambda)
– built-in functions defined at the top level of a module
– classes that are defined at the top level of a module
In order to work with pickle module, you must import pickle in your
program.

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Unit I: Computational Thinking and Programming - 2

Chapter-7: File Handling


Writing Instance onto a file –Using pickle.dump()
 pickle.dump() function to store the object data to the file.
 pickle.dump () method is used to write object in the file or to serialize an
object hierarchy.

Syntax of dump ():


pickle.dump(object_to_be_written, fileObject)
Example: Program to write structure, dictionary to the binary file.

The contents of the generated binary


file are encrypted (serialized) in binary:

Reading Instance from a binary file –Using pickle.load()

 To retrieve pickled data, you have to use pickle.load() function to do that.


 pickle.load( ) method unpickle or unserialize the data coming from the file

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Unit I: Computational Thinking and Programming - 2

Chapter-7: File Handling


Syntax of load() :
Object = load (fileObject)
The primary argument of pickle load function is the file object that you get by
opening the file in read-binary (rb) mode.
Example: To read dictionary from the binary file “ bin_data.dat”

OUTPUT:

Operations performed using Binary files:

a) Reading from Binary file


b) Writing to Binary File
c) Appending record ( inserting record at the end of the file)
d) Searching Record in Binary file
e) Deleting record from Binary file
f) Copying a file
g) Modification/ Updation in Binary File.

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Unit I: Computational Thinking and Programming - 2

Chapter-7: File Handling

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Unit I: Computational Thinking and Programming - 2

Chapter-7: File Handling

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Unit I: Computational Thinking and Programming - 2

Chapter-7: File Handling

OUTPUT: on next page

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Chapter-7: File Handling

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Unit I: Computational Thinking and Programming - 2

Chapter-7: File Handling

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