Handling Files in Python: A Beginner’s Guide

Working with files is a common task in programming, and Python provides a simple and powerful way to handle files. This guide will introduce you to file handling in Python, covering how to read from and write to files, and best practices for managing file operations.

Why Handle Files?

• Data Storage: Save data for later use, such as configuration settings or application logs.
• Data Exchange: Share data between different programs or systems.
• Data Processing: Read and process data from files for analysis or transformation.

Opening and Closing Files

To open a file in Python, use the open() function, which returns a file object. Always remember to close the file after you’re done to free up system resources.

Syntax:

file_object = open("filename", "mode")

• filename: The name of the file you want to open.
• mode: The mode in which you want to open the file (e.g., read, write, append).

Common Modes:

• 'r': Read (default mode).
• 'w': Write (creates a new file or truncates an existing file).
• 'a': Append (writes data at the end of…