Python: How to iterate over files changing their names in loop?

Question

I am a beginner with Python, and I come from MATLAB. What I need to do is create a loop with years from 2000 to 2016. I have a directory with a lot of files, whose filenames contain these years, like "file_2006". How can I create a loop to open the files for specific years? In MATLAB I would do it like:

for i=2000:2016
year=num2str(i);
filename=['file_' year];
X=cdfread(filename); % and then some operations with X that I read here
end

But is it possible to do it in Python? Thank you!

filename = 'file_{}'.format(2000).

freakish
– freakish

2018-01-21 15:09:50 +00:00
Commented Jan 21, 2018 at 15:09 — freakish
– freakish, Commented Jan 21, 2018 at 15:09

Mark Tolonen · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-21 16:24:58Z

2

try something like

for year in range(2000,2017):
    file_name = "file_{year}".format(year=year)
    with open(file_name) as file:
        file_data = file.read()

see the documentation about how to work with files here https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/inputoutput.html

edited Jan 21, 2018 at 16:24

Mark Tolonen

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answered Jan 21, 2018 at 15:16

Derte Trdelnik

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1 Comment

Mark Tolonen Over a year ago

file_name = f'year_{year}' syntax also works if using Python 3.6+.

Viacheslav Khvorostianyi · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-21 15:19:30Z

0

Yes it's possible to do, just use format or %s like this:

for item in range(2000,2016):
    file_name = "%s" % item
    print (print file_name)
    # or do what you want

answered Jan 21, 2018 at 15:19

Viacheslav Khvorostianyi

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