Reading text files is an important skill in Python. It allows you to work with stored data such as reports, logs, configurations, and datasets.

Python provides built-in functions to open and read files easily.

OPENING A FILE

To read a file, use the open() function.

file = open("example.txt", "r")

• "example.txt" → File name
• "r" → Read mode

After opening the file, you can read its content.

READING FILE CONTENT

1. read() – Reads the entire file

file = open("example.txt", "r")
content = file.read()
print(content)
file.close()

2. readline() – Reads one line at a time

file = open("example.txt", "r")
line = file.readline()
print(line)
file.close()

3. readlines() – Reads all lines into a list

file = open("example.txt", "r")
lines = file.readlines()
print(lines)
file.close()

USING WITH STATEMENT (BEST PRACTICE)

Using with automatically closes the file after use.

with open("example.txt", "r") as file:
    content = file.read()
    print(content)

This is the recommended way to handle files.

READING FILE LINE BY LINE

with open("example.txt", "r") as file:
    for line in file:
        print(line.strip())

.strip() removes extra spaces or newline characters.

FILE MODES

• "r" → Read (default)
• "w" → Write (overwrites file)
• "a" → Append
• "x" → Create new file

HANDLING FILE NOT FOUND ERROR

try:
    with open("example.txt", "r") as file:
        print(file.read())
except FileNotFoundError:
    print("File not found.")

IMPORTANT POINTS

• Always close the file (or use with)
• Use try-except to handle errors
• Read large files line by line to save memory

WHY FILE READING IS IMPORTANT

• Used in data analysis
• Used in report generation
• Important for automation
• Required in real-world applications

Understanding how to read text files is essential for working with external data in Python.