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‎006_Read_and_Write_Text_Files.ipynb

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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"You have learned about lists as well as how to write your own functions with loops and conditional statements. As such, you can already write programs performing a variety of tasks. \n",
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"You have learned about lists as well, and how to write your own functions with loops and conditional statements. This allows you to write programs performing a variety of tasks. \n",
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"\n",
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"However, something that you are currently missing is a mechanism to access the data that you want to analyze. A very common way to access these data is through (local or remotely-stored) [files](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_file)."
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"However, a convenient mechanism to access the data that you want to analyze is currently missing. In this notebook, we will explore the use of [files](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_file) since they are a common way to access stored data."
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]
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},
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{
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"source": [
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/key.png\">\n",
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"\n",
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"A **file** provides a mechanism for **permanently storing information** so that they can be retrieved when your program and/or your machine are restarted."
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"A **file** provides a mechanism for **permanently storing information**. Thus, the file content is not lost in the event of a [crash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_(computing)) or [reboot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reboot)."
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]
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{
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"source": [
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/key.png\">\n",
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"\n",
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"A **binary file** is any other type of file that does not fit the previous definition of text file."
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"A **binary file** is any other type of file that does not fit the previous definition of a text file."
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]
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},
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"You can often recognize a text files by looking at the [file extension](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filename_extension). Extensions commonly in use for text files are: `.txt`, `.asc`, `.xyz`."
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"You can often recognize a text file by looking at the [file extension](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filename_extension). Extensions commonly in use for text files are: `.txt`, `.asc`, `.xyz`."
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]
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"source": [
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/info.png\">\n",
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"\n",
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"A very simple test to evaluate whether a given file is a text file is to open it in a text editor. If you can understand the visualized content of an opened file, then the file is likely a text file. *(Be warned that opening a file in this way can take a long time depending on the size of the file.)*"
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"A very simple test to evaluate whether a given file is a text file is to open it in a text editor. If you can recognize the visualized content of an opened file as text, then the file is likely a text file. *(Be warned that opening a file in this way can take a long time depending on the size of the file.)*"
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]
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},
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"We will first introduce some file managing capability of the `os` [Python module](https://docs.python.org/3.6/tutorial/modules.html#modules), then we will describe the use of the functions that Python provides for [reading and writing the content of a text file](https://docs.python.org/3.6/tutorial/inputoutput.html)."
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"We will first introduce some file managing capabilities of the `os.path` [Python module](https://docs.python.org/3.6/tutorial/modules.html#modules), then we will use the functions that Python provides for [reading and writing the content of a text file](https://docs.python.org/3.6/tutorial/inputoutput.html)."
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]
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"source": [
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/key.png\">\n",
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"\n",
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"In Python, a **module** is a file containing definitions and statements. The module name is given by the file name without the suffix `.py`."
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"In Python, a **module** is a file containing definitions and statements. "
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]
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},
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/info.png\">\n",
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"\n",
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"The module name is given by the file name without the [file extension](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filename_extension). For example, a file `example.py` may identify the module `example`."
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"## The `os` module"
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"## The `os.path` module"
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]
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},
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"The `os` module provides a **portable** way of using several functionalities [across different operating systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-platform_software) (i.e., the same code can run on [Linux Ubuntu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu) and [Microsoft Windows 10](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10))."
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"We will explore the `os.path` module to retrieve some data files that are stored on the server's hard disk."
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]
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"In particular, we will explore the `os.path` sub-module to retrieve some data files that are stored on the server's hard disk.\n",
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/info.png\">\n",
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"\n",
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"The first required operation is to **import** the `os` module. Then, we will use some of the `os.path` sub-module functionalities and variables to write a function that returns the full path of the folder where this notebook is located:\n",
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"Several functionalities in the `os.path` module are **portable**. This means that can be used [across different operating systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-platform_software). For example, you can use its functionalities in code that runs on [Linux Ubuntu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu) and [Microsoft Windows 10](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10)."
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]
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},
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/key.png\">\n",
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"\n",
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"For using the `os.path` module, the first required operation is to **import** it. Once imported, the module can be used."
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]
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},
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"In the example below, we write a `get_current_folder()` function that returns the path of the folder where this notebook is located."
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]
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},
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"To achieve this task, we will use two of the `os.path` functionalities and variables:\n",
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"\n",
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"- `curdir`: The string used by the [operating system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system) to refer to the current directory.\n",
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"- `abspath()`: A function that returns the [absolute path](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_(computing)#Absolute_and_relative_paths)."
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]
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},
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{
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"attachments": {},
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/info.png\">\n",
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"\n",
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"- `curdir`: The constant string used by the operating system to refer to the current directory. E.g., `.` for Windows and Linux.\n",
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"- `abspath()`: A function that returns the full, absolute version of a path."
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"An [**absolute path**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_(computing)#Absolute_and_relative_paths) points to the same location in a file system, regardless of the current working directory. In contrast, a [**relative path**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_(computing)#Absolute_and_relative_paths) starts from a given working directory."
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"metadata": {},
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"outputs": [],
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"source": [
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"import os\n",
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"import os.path\n",
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"\n",
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"def get_current_folder():\n",
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" cur_folder = os.path.abspath(os.path.curdir)\n",
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"As such, we extend the previous code using `os.path.join()` and `os.path.exist()` functions to:\n",
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"To be able to access the `data` sub-folder, we extend the previous code using `os.path.join()` and `os.path.exist()` functions to:\n",
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"\n",
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"- Create the full path to the `data` sub-folder.\n",
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"- Create the absolute path to the `data` sub-folder.\n",
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"- Check whether the resulting path actually exists."
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"source": [
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/key.png\">\n",
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"\n",
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"We did not import the `os` module since it was already imported in the previous cell. Re-importing a module does not break your code, but makes it more verbose. "
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"We did not import the `os.path` module since it was already imported in the previous code cell. Re-importing a module does not break your code, but makes it more verbose. "
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]
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},
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"However, if you decide to [clear the results of this notebook](000_Welcome_on_Board.ipynb#How-to-Clear-the-Results-of-a-Notebook?), you will need to re-execute the code cell with the `import` statement."
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"As discussed above, a text file is a sequence of characters stored on a permanent medium (e.g., a flash memory)."
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"As discussed above, a text file is a sequence of characters stored on a permanent medium (e.g., a [USB flash drive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive))."
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/info.png\">\n",
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"Why the characters are 100? There are 20 rows in the file. Each row has 4 visible characters (e.g., `30.8`) but there is also an invisible [newline character](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newline) (i.e., `\\n`) that text editors interpret as a new line. Thus, `(4+1) * 20 = 100` characters."
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]
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},
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/key.png\">\n",
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"\n",
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"Why the characters are 100? Each row has 4 visible characters (e.g., `30.8`) but there is also an invisible character (i.e., `\\n`) that the text editor interprets as a new line. Thus, `(4+1) * 20 = 100` characters."
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"The **newline character** is used to control the end of a line of text and the start of a new one."
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]
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},
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"In the code above, the `sal_content` variable holds the content of the file as a single sequence of characters."
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"source": [
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"We will now write a function that not only reads the sequence of characters, but also splits them by line (using the `str` method named `splitlines()`) and converts the result in the corresponding `float` value."
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"We will now write a function that not only reads the sequence of characters, but also splits them in multiple lines based on the **newline character** (using the `str` method named `splitlines()`). Finally, we convert the result in the corresponding `float` value and append this value to `sal_list`."
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"source": [
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"If you want to write a text file, the first decision to take is the location on where to store the text file. For this collection of notebook, we will use the `output` sub-folder that can be retrieved running the following code:"
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"If you want to write a text file, you need to decide where to store it. For this collection of notebooks, we will use the `output` sub-folder that can be retrieved running the following code:"
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"outputs": [],
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"def get_output_folder():\n",
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" cur_folder = os.path.abspath(os.path.curdir)\n",
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" output_folder = os.path.join(cur_folder, \"output\")\n",
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" cur_folder = os.path.abspath(os.path.curdir) # The absolute path to the current directory\n",
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" output_folder = os.path.join(cur_folder, \"output\") # The absolute path to the output folder (may or may not exist)\n",
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"source": [
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"To write a file, you have to use the `open()` function and pass the `w` mode (`w` is for *write*) as second parameter. We put this function within a function that take a list as a second parameter and write the content into the text file."
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"In the code below, the `write_list_to_disk` function takes:\n",
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"\n",
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"* An `output_path` where the output file is to be written. \n",
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"* A `input_list` containing the data to be written in the output file."
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]
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{
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"The below function uses the `open()` function and passes the `w` mode (`w` is for *write*) as second parameter. "
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"cell_type": "markdown",
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"metadata": {},
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"source": [
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"<img align=\"left\" width=\"6%\" style=\"padding-right:10px;\" src=\"images/info.png\">\n",
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"\n",
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"You may learn about other modes for opening a file from the official [Python documentation](https://docs.python.org/3.6/library/functions.html?#open)."
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" output_file = open(output_path, mode=\"w\")\n",
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" output_file = open(output_path, mode=\"w\") # mode=\"w\" to open the file in writing mode\n",
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" line_content = str(value) + \"\\n\" # the \"\\n\" is the 'escaped' character for the new line\n",
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" line_content = str(value) + \"\\n\" # the \"\\n\" is the newline character\n",
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"* [Computer file](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_file)\n",
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" * [Text file](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_file)\n",
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" * [Filename extension](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filename_extension)"
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" * [Filename extension](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filename_extension)\n",
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"* [Absolute and relative paths](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_(computing)#Absolute_and_relative_paths)"
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{

‎AUTHORS.rst

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- `Semme Dijkstra <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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- `Jordan Chadwick <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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Contributors
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~~~~~~~~~~~~
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The following wonderful people contributed directly or indirectly to this project:
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- `Anne Hartwell <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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- `Brandon Maingot <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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- `Christos Kastrisios <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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- `Dan Tauriello <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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- `Jason Greenlaw <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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- `Jeff Douglas <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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- `Jenn Dijkstra <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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- `Mike Smith <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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- `Tomer Ketter <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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- `Val Schmidt <mailto:[email protected]>`_
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‎README.rst

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* Code: `GitHub repo <https://github.com/hydroffice/python_basics>`_
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* Project page: `url <https://www.hydroffice.org/epom>`_
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* Code License: `LGPLv3 <https://github.com/hydroffice/python_basics/raw/master/LICENSE>`_
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* Text License: `Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported <https://github.com/hydroffice/python_basics/raw/master/TEXT>`_
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General Info
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------------
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The overall task is to drive you through some basic concepts of programming using the Python language.
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Code License
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------------
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.. image:: https://github.com/hydroffice/python_basics/raw/master/images/LGPLv3.png
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:alt: LGPLv3
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:target: https://github.com/hydroffice/python_basics/raw/master/LICENSE
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Text License
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------------
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.. image:: https://github.com/hydroffice/python_basics/raw/master/images/CC-BY-SA.png
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:alt: CC BY-SA
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:target: https://github.com/hydroffice/python_basics/raw/master/TEXT
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Copyright Notice
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----------------
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