Adding Up Numbers From A List In Python

Question

basically i'm trying to complete a read file. i have made the "make" file that will generate 10 random numbers and write it to a text file. here's what i have so far for the "read" file...

def main():
    infile = open('mynumbers.txt', 'r')
    nums = []
    line = infile.readline()

    print ('The random numbers were:')
    while line:
        nums.append(int(line))
        print (line)
        line = infile.readline()

    total = sum(line)  
    print ('The total of the random numbers is:', total)

main()

i know it's incomplete, i'm still a beginner at this and this is my first introduction to computer programming or python. basically i have to use a loop to gather up the sum of all the numbers that were listed in the mynumbers.txt. any help would be GREATLY appreciated. this has been driving me up a wall.

He/she's a beginner guys, please cut them some slack!

gravetii
– gravetii

2014-02-27 05:44:17 +00:00
Commented Feb 27, 2014 at 5:44 — gravetii
– gravetii, Commented Feb 27, 2014 at 5:44

Tim Pietzcker · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-27 05:53:45Z

2

You don't need to iterate manually in Python (this isn't C, after all):

nums = []
with open("mynumbers.txt") as infile:
    for line in infile:
        nums.append(int(line))

Now you just have to take the sum, but of nums, of course, not of line:

total = sum(nums)

edited Feb 27, 2014 at 5:53

answered Feb 27, 2014 at 5:32

Tim Pietzcker

337k59 gold badges520 silver badges572 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

pasztorpisti Over a year ago

typo: infile vs file. Instead of appending to a list you could just add the newly read integer to a total variable that was initialized to zero.

nneonneo · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-27 05:43:01Z

1

The usual one-liner:

total = sum(map(int, open("mynumbers.txt")))

It does generate a list of integers (albeit very temporarily).

answered Feb 27, 2014 at 5:43

nneonneo

181k37 gold badges331 silver badges412 bronze badges

1 Comment

Tim Pietzcker Over a year ago

He's on Python 3, so it doesn't even generate a list - this is definitely the most elegant solution (+1), although it's probably a bit much for a beginner, especially without explanation.

Amit · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-27 05:39:47Z

0

Although I would go with Tim's answer above, here's another way if you want to use readlines method

# Open a file
infile = open('mynumbers.txt', 'r')

sum = 0
lines = infile.readlines()
for num in lines:
    sum += int(num)

print sum

answered Feb 27, 2014 at 5:39

Amit

20.6k7 gold badges51 silver badges55 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Adding Up Numbers From A List In Python

3 Answers 3

1 Comment

1 Comment

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

3 Answers 3

1 Comment

1 Comment

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related