Beginning Programming with Python For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 16

Storing Data in Files

IN THIS CHAPTER

Considering how permanent storage works

Using permanently stored content

Creating, reading, updating, and deleting file data

Until now, application development might seem to be all about presenting information onscreen. Actually, applications revolve around a need to work with data in some way. Data is the focus of all applications because it’s the data that users are interested in. Be prepared for a huge disappointment the first time you present a treasured application to a user base and find that the only thing users worry about is whether the application will help them leave work on time after creating a presentation. The fact is, the best applications are invisible, but they present data in the most appropriate manner possible for a user’s needs.

If data is the focus of applications, then storing the data in a permanent manner is equally important. For most developers, data storage revolves around a permanent media such as a hard drive, Solid State Drive (SSD), Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive, or some other methodology. (Even cloud-based solutions work fine, but you won’t see them used in this book because they require ...