Difference between r and r+ in open()
The ‘r’ is for reading only, and ‘r+’ is for both reading and writing. Be cautious when using ‘r+’ as it can potentially overwrite or modify the existing content of the file.
Read mode in Python with ‘r’
This code segment opens a file named ‘file_r.txt’ in ‘read’ mode (‘r’). It then reads the content of the file using the .read() method and stores it in the variable content. The ‘r’ mode is used for reading files, and it will raise a FileNotFoundError if the file does not exist.
Python3
with open('example.txt', 'r') as file_r: content = file_r.read() print('Content in "r":', content) |
Output:
Read and Write Mode in Python with ‘r+’
In ‘r+’ mode, the file is opened for both reading and writing without truncation, and the file pointer is positioned at the beginning. If the file doesn’t exist, a FileNotFoundError is raised.
Python3
with open('example.txt', 'r+') as file: content = file.read() print(content) file.write('Appending new content') |
Output:
Difference between modes a, a+, w, w+, and r+ in built-in open function?
Understanding the file modes in Python’s open() function is essential for working with files effectively. Depending on your needs, you can choose between ‘a’, ‘a+’, ‘w’, ‘w+’, and ‘r+’ modes to read, write, or append data to files while handling files. In this article, we’ll explore these modes and their use cases.