Reading text from a text file in python

Question

I am having trouble trying to figure out how to import text from a text file easily or at least a memorable method. I am trying to make a program that insults the user (for school), that brings in a word/s from one text file, adds another word/s from the second file and the final word/s from the third text file...

I am having trouble finding a way of coding to do this...I have the random number up and running to pick the text I just need to know how to access strings or text in a text file.

How large are the textfiles? If it's a relatively small list of insults, you could just store the data in lists ... — mgilson
– mgilson, Commented Oct 18, 2012 at 15:06
The text files are not that big...about 50 words, but our teacher asked to import them from external text-files and he is reluctant to teach us. — Magpy
– Magpy, Commented Oct 18, 2012 at 15:07
Also, be careful saying import -- import is a statement that executes python code (unless it was already imported) and assigning the "result" to a namespace. — mgilson
– mgilson, Commented Oct 18, 2012 at 15:08

Nathan Villaescusa · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-18 15:06:36Z

1

The easiest way is to use the with statement. It takes care of closing the file for you.

with open("file.txt") as f:
    for line in f:
        # do something with line

Or read the data into directly into a list:

with open("file.txt") as f:
    lines = list(f)
# do something with lines

answered Oct 18, 2012 at 15:06

Nathan Villaescusa

17.7k4 gold badges55 silver badges58 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Reading text from a text file in python

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related