importing txt files into python

Question

a01:01-24-2011:s1 
a03:01-24-2011:s2 
a02:01-24-2011:s2 
a03:02-02-2011:s2 
a03:03-02-2011:s1 
a02:04-19-2011:s2 
a01:05-14-2011:s2 
a02:06-11-2011:s2 
a03:07-12-2011:s1 
a01:08-19-2011:s1 
a03:09-19-2011:s1 
a03:10-19-2011:s2 
a03:11-19-2011:s1 
a03:12-19-2011:s2

this is saved in animallog1.txt. How would I import this file so that it can be used to write code, or answer questions using the above data. I have tried:

 open('C:/animallog1.txt', 'r')

but it does not work and states FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'C:/animallog1.txt' Could someone please help me fix this

@wwii You need raw string for the backslash '\' (or to escape it with another backslash '\\') but not forward slash '/'. — Some programmer dude
– Some programmer dude, Commented Nov 24, 2013 at 5:35

Holy Mackerel · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-24 05:36:18Z

1

open('C:\\animallog1.txt', 'r')

answered Nov 24, 2013 at 5:36

Holy Mackerel

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sad1e · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-24 05:39:51Z

0

Does file animallog1.txt exists?

On Windows you should be care for the backsplash.

file = open('c:\\path\\to\\file', 'r')

or

file = open(r'c:\path\to\file', 'r')

Check your workspace, u can use os.chdir() to change your directory to c:\?

answered Nov 24, 2013 at 5:39

sad1e

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2 Comments

rggod Over a year ago

builtins.ImportError: No module named 'animallog1'

sad1e Over a year ago

@user2994135 How could it be? this means u import a non-existent module, and your operation is open a file. I think u used import animallog1.

Mike DeSimone · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-24 05:43:50Z

0

First, if you're using Windows, you have to use backslashes. There are a couple ways to do that: one is with double backslashes as others have pointed out, another is using the various constants and functions in the os and os.path libraries:

import os
filename = "C:" + os.sep + "animallog1.txt"

Second, the "proper" way to do this is with a with statement:

with open(filename) as f: #'r' is default
    for line in f:
        a, date, s = line.split(":")
        # ...

What the with statement does is guarantee that the file gets closed on leaving the with block. Otherwise the file doesn't get closed until the Python garbage collector gets around to it.

answered Nov 24, 2013 at 5:43

Mike DeSimone

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2 Comments

rggod Over a year ago

the file is saved is Computer-Windows(C:)-User-#my name-documents if that helps in anyway

Mike DeSimone Over a year ago

Are you running the Python script in the same place as the file?

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