How to ask the user for an output file in python

Question

I have to ask the user for an output file and then append data to it but whenever I try it tells me that the data has no append attribute. I think this is because when I try to open the file it is seeing it as a string and not an actual file to append data too. I have tried multiple ways of doing this but right now I am left with this:

Output_File = str(raw_input("Where would you like to save this data? "))
fileObject = open(Output_File, "a")
fileObject.append(Output, '\n')
fileObject.close()

The output that I am trying to append to it is just a list I earlier defined. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you want the list written one item per line with a newline at the end it is fileObject.write('%s\n' % '\n'.join(str(item) for item in Output)) if you want it comma separated but without the brackets it is fileObject.write('%s\n' % ', '.join(str(item) for item in Output)). — agf
– agf, Commented Oct 1, 2011 at 17:07

Mark · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-01 16:26:22Z

4

Your error is at this line:

fileObject.append(Output, '\n')

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
AttributeError: 'file' object has no attribute 'append'

Use the write method of a file object:

fileObject.write(Output+'\n')

answered Oct 1, 2011 at 16:26

Mark

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2 Comments

agf Over a year ago

"The output that I am trying to append to it is just a list I earlier defined." You need to turn that list into a string, too.

Mark Over a year ago

@agf, yea, I saw that, but it did not jive with the posted code snippet at all. I took it to mean that they are "listing" things in a file.

Cat Plus Plus · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-01 16:26:45Z

2

File objects have no append method. You're looking for write. Also, str(raw_input(...)) is redundant, raw_input already returns a string.

answered Oct 1, 2011 at 16:26

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Comments

hamstergene · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-01 16:33:38Z

1

The error message is pretty self-explanatory. This is because file objects don't have append method. You should simply use write:

fileObject.write(str(Output) + '\n')

edited Oct 1, 2011 at 16:33

answered Oct 1, 2011 at 16:28

hamstergene

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1 Comment

agf Over a year ago

"The output that I am trying to append to it is just a list I earlier defined." List -> string also necessary.

Lance Collins · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-01 16:46:18Z

0

def main():
    Output = [1,2,4,4]
    Output_File = input("Where would you like to save this data?")
    fileObject = open(Output_File, 'a')
    fileObject.write(str(Output)+'\n')
    fileObject.close()
if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

just use the .write method.

edited Oct 1, 2011 at 16:46

answered Oct 1, 2011 at 16:39

Lance Collins

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1 Comment

hamstergene Over a year ago

no need for seek, the file is already opened in append mode

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