Chapter 10: Problem 14

In what mode do you open a file if you want to write data to it, but you do not want to erase the file’s existing contents? When you write data to such a file, to what part of the file is the data written?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer: The appropriate file mode for writing data to a file without erasing its existing contents is the 'append' mode, represented by the letter 'a' in Python. To use it, you can open the file in append mode using the syntax `file_object = open("filename", "a")`. Then, write the data to the file using `file_object.write("your_data_here")`. Finally, close the file by calling `file_object.close()`.

Step by step solution

Understand file opening modes

There are several modes to open a file for various purposes, like read, write, or append. In this case, you want to write data to the file without erasing its existing content.

Identify the appropriate mode

The mode you are looking for is 'append' mode, as it allows you to add data to a file without erasing the existing content. In Python, this mode is represented by the letter 'a'.

Open a file in append mode

To open a file in append mode, you can use the following syntax: ``` file_object = open("filename", "a") ``` Replace "filename" with the name of the file you want to open or create.

Write data to the file in append mode

When writing data to a file opened in append mode, the data is written at the end of the file after the existing content. To write data in a file, you can use: ``` file_object.write("your_data_here") ``` Replace "your_data_here" with the data you want to add to the file.

Close the file

After writing the data to the file, it is important to close the file properly to avoid any issues with file access or data corruption. To close the file, use: ``` file_object.close() ``` By using append mode, you can ensure that the existing content is not erased, and the new data is added to the end of the file.

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In what mode do you open a file if you want to write data to it, but you do not want to erase the file’s existing contents? When you write data to such a file, to what part of the file is the data written?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understand file opening modes

Identify the appropriate mode

Open a file in append mode

Write data to the file in append mode

Close the file

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