Error writing output file 'int' does not support the buffer interface

Question

I an new to Python, trying to overwrite the last 128 bytes of a file with zer0s. What am I doing wrong?

   try:
      f = open(outputFile, "wb")

      for x in range(1, 128):
         f.seek(x, 2)   # seek relative to end of file
         f.write(0)

      f.close()

   except Exception as e:
      sys.exit('Error writing output file ' + str(e)) 

Error writing output file 'int' does not support the buffer interface

[Update]

this runs with no error, but the zer0s are not written (I mean \0 (end of string))

  f = open(outputFile, "rb+")

  zeros = bytearray(0 * 128)
  f.seek(-128, 2)   # seek relative to end of file
  f.write(zeros)

  f.close()

Note: when I tried f.write('\0'*128) I got Error writing output file 'str' does not support the buffer interface

you should just use bytearray(128) to get the array of NULs — John La Rooy
– John La Rooy, Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 5:30
If you are using python3, you'd need to use b'\0'*128 to make a bytes object — John La Rooy
– John La Rooy, Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 5:33
Did you get it working? To clarify bytearray(0 * 128) is same as bytearray(0) ie. empty bytearray. Writing that would have no effect of course! — John La Rooy
– John La Rooy, Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 6:04
I did not know that. Thanks, you can post an answer. However, I have a new problem which I will address in a new question. — Mawg
– Mawg, Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 6:36

John La Rooy · Accepted Answer · 2014-11-18 05:28:05Z

3

If you mean NUL bytes

f.write('\0')

If you want actual zeros

f.write('0')

If you mean to overwrite just the last part of the file (as opposed to append)

with open('x', 'rb+') as f:
    f.seek(-128, 2)
    f.write('\0'*128)

edited Nov 18, 2014 at 5:28

answered Nov 18, 2014 at 5:06

John La Rooy

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1 Comment

Mawg Over a year ago

I still can't get it to work :=( What is wrong with the updated code?

Hackaholic · Accepted Answer · 2014-11-18 05:04:56Z

1

replace this:

f.write(0)

to:

f.write(str(0))

you need to convert it to type str

answered Nov 18, 2014 at 5:04

Hackaholic

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