In Python, you can read files using several methods, depending on how you want to handle the file’s contents. Below are common ways to read files in Python:
Reading the Entire File at Once
file.read()
reads the entire file as a single string. This is useful for small files, but for large files, it’s better to read in chunks or lines.
Example:
with open("filename.txt", "r") as file:
content = file.read()
print(content)
Reading Line by Line (for Large Files)
This approach reads each line one at a time, which is efficient for larger files.
with open("filename.txt", "r") as file:
for line in file:
print(line.strip()) # `.strip()` removes extra whitespace
Reading All Lines as a List
file.readlines()
returns a list of lines, where each line is an item in the list.
with open("filename.txt", "r") as file:
lines = file.readlines()
print(lines) # Each line will be an item in the list
Reading in Chunks
For very large files, you can specify a chunk size (in bytes) to read portions of the file at a time.
Example:
with open("filename.txt", "r") as file:
chunk_size = 1024 # For example, 1024 bytes
while chunk := file.read(chunk_size):
print(chunk)
This reads 1024 bytes at a time until the file is completely read.