Python open(): How to Use File open() Function In Python

Python open() is an inbuilt function that opens the file and returns it as a file object. It is used in the file handling process. Python open() function returns the file  object which can be used to read, write, and modify the file. If a file is not found, then it raises the FileNotFoundError  exception.

The syntax of the open() function is the following.

open(file, mode)

file: This parameter as the name suggests, is the name of the file that we want to open.

mode: This parameter is a string that is used to specify the mode in which the file is to be opened. The following strings can be used to activate a specific mode:

“a” – Append – Opens the file for appending, creates the file if it does not exist.

“w” – Write – Opens the file for writing, creates a file if it does not exist.

“x” – Create – Creates a specified file, returns an error if the file exists.

Also, you can specify if a file should be handled as binary or text mode.

“t” – Text – Default value. Text mode.

“b” – Binary – Binary mode (e.g. images).

Python open() Function Example

Example 1

The below example shows how to open a file in Python.

# opens python.text file of the current directory  
f = open("python.txt")  
# specifying full path  
f = open("C:/Python33/README.txt")  

Output:

Since the mode is omitted, the file is opened in 'r' mode; opens for reading.

Example 2

The below example providing mode to open().

# file opens for read  
f = open("path_to_file", mode='r')  
# file opens for write   
f = open("path_to_file", mode = 'w')  
# file opens for writing to the end   
f = open("path_to_file", mode = 'a')  

Output:

f = open("path_to_file", mode = 'r', encoding='utf-8')

In the above example, we specify different modes('r', 'w', 'a') for opening a file.

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