Beginning Python®: Using Python 2.6 and Python 3.1

Chapter 8. Files and Directories

In this chapter, you'll get to know some of the types and functions that Python provides for writing and reading files and accessing the contents of directories. These functions are important, because almost all nontrivial programs use files to read input or store output.

Python provides a rich collection of input/output functions; this chapter covers those that are most widely used. First, you'll use file objects, the most basic implementation of input/output in Python. Then you'll learn about functions for manipulating paths, retrieving information about files, and accessing directory contents.

In this chapter you learn:

• Some of the types and functions that Python provides for writing and reading files and accessing the contents of directories. These functions are important, because almost all nontrivial programs use files to read input or store output.

• About Python's rich collection of input/output functions; this chapter covers those that are most widely used.

• To use file objects, the most basic implementation of input/output in Python.

• About functions for manipulating paths, retrieving information about files, and accessing directory contents.

File Objects

In this chapter, most of the examples use Windows path names. If you are working on a different platform, replace the example paths with paths appropriate for your system.

If you do use Windows, however, remember that a backslash is a special character in a Python string, so you must escape (that is, ...