Python Standard Library

The fileinput Module

The fileinput module allows you to loop over the contents of one or more text files, as shown in Example 2-1.

Example 2-1. Using the fileinput Module to Loop Over a Text File

File: fileinput-example-1.py

import fileinput
import sys

for line in fileinput.input("samples/sample.txt"):
    sys.stdout.write("-> ")
    sys.stdout.write(line)

-> We will perhaps eventually be writing only small
-> modules which are identified by name as they are
-> used to build larger ones, so that devices like
-> indentation, rather than delimiters, might become
-> feasible for expressing local structure in the
-> source language.
->      -- Donald E. Knuth, December 1974

The fileinput module also allows you to get metainformation about the current line. This includes isfirstline, filename, and lineno, as Example 2-2 shows.

Example 2-2. Using the fileinput Module to Process Multiple Files

File: fileinput-example-2.py

import fileinput
import glob
import string, sys

for line in fileinput.input(glob.glob("samples/*.txt")):
    if fileinput.isfirstline(): # first in a file?
        sys.stderr.write("-- reading %s --\n" % fileinput.filename())
    sys.stdout.write(str(fileinput.lineno()) + " " + string.upper(line))

-- reading samples\sample.txt --
1 WE WILL PERHAPS EVENTUALLY BE WRITING ONLY SMALL
2 MODULES WHICH ARE IDENTIFIED BY NAME AS THEY ARE
3 USED TO BUILD LARGER ONES, SO THAT DEVICES LIKE
4 INDENTATION, RATHER THAN DELIMITERS, MIGHT BECOME
5 FEASIBLE FOR EXPRESSING LOCAL STRUCTURE IN THE
6 SOURCE LANGUAGE.