Python readlines() returns empty string

Question

I ran the following code in Python:

def translateDesc(fileName):
    textFile = open("fileName", "r")
    fileLines = textFile.readlines()
    return fileLines

And the function returns an empty string. However, when I ran the lines one by one in the iPython terminals, the function returned was not empty. How should I fix this issue?

Use the filename variable: textFile = open(fileName, "r") — Mike67
– Mike67, Commented Sep 27, 2020 at 16:10
And be more clear. readlines doesn't return strings. It returns a list of some number of strings. — Chad Miller
– Chad Miller, Commented Sep 27, 2020 at 16:12

Gnanavel · Accepted Answer · 2020-09-27 16:16:44Z

1

readlines() returns a list of strings.If you want to return string use read()

def translateDesc(fileName):
    textFile = open(fileName, "r")
    fileLines = textFile.read()
    return fileLines

answered Sep 27, 2020 at 16:16

Gnanavel

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Comments

Shree H · Accepted Answer · 2020-09-27 16:15:53Z

0

please replace 2nd line with below: textFile = open(fileName, "r")

#we need to use the variable name in line 2 instead of string "fileName".

answered Sep 27, 2020 at 16:15

Shree H

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