Module __builtin__ :: Class file
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Type file

object --+
         |
        file

Known Subclasses:
ProtectedFile

file(name[, mode[, buffering]]) -> file object

Open a file. The mode can be 'r', 'w' or 'a' for reading (default), writing or appending. The file will be created if it doesn't exist when opened for writing or appending; it will be truncated when opened for writing. Add a 'b' to the mode for binary files. Add a '+' to the mode to allow simultaneous reading and writing. If the buffering argument is given, 0 means unbuffered, 1 means line buffered, and larger numbers specify the buffer size. Add a 'U' to mode to open the file for input with universal newline support. Any line ending in the input file will be seen as a '\n' in Python. Also, a file so opened gains the attribute 'newlines'; the value for this attribute is one of None (no newline read yet), '\r', '\n', '\r\n' or a tuple containing all the newline types seen.

'U' cannot be combined with 'w' or '+' mode.

Note: open() is an alias for file().
Method Summary
  __init__(...)
x.__init__(...) initializes x; see x.__class__.__doc__ for signature
  __delattr__(...)
x.__delattr__('name') <==> del x.name
  __getattribute__(...)
x.__getattribute__('name') <==> x.name
  __iter__(x)
x.__iter__() <==> iter(x)
  __new__(T, S, ...)
T.__new__(S, ...) -> a new object with type S, a subtype of T
  __repr__(x)
x.__repr__() <==> repr(x)
  __setattr__(...)
x.__setattr__('name', value) <==> x.name = value
None or (perhaps) an integer close()
Sets data attribute .closed to True.
integer "file descriptor" fileno()
This is needed for lower-level file interfaces, such os.read().
None flush()
flush() -> None.
true or false isatty()
isatty() -> true or false.
  next(x)
x.next() -> the next value, or raise StopIteration
read at most size bytes, returned as a string read(size)
If the size argument is negative or omitted, read until EOF is reached.
Undocumented readinto()
readinto() -> Undocumented.
next line from the file, as a string readline(size)
Retain newline.
list of strings, each a line from the file readlines(size)
Call readline() repeatedly and return a list of the lines so read.
None seek(offset, whence)
Argument offset is a byte count.
current file position, an integer (may be a long integer). tell()
tell() -> current file position, an integer (may be a long integer).
None truncate(size)
Size defaults to the current file position, as returned by tell().
None write(str)
Note that due to buffering, flush() or close() may be needed before the file on disk reflects the data written.
None writelines(sequence_of_strings)
Note that newlines are not added.
returns self xreadlines()
For backward compatibility.
    Inherited from object
  __hash__(x)
x.__hash__() <==> hash(x)
  __reduce__(...)
helper for pickle
  __reduce_ex__(...)
helper for pickle
  __str__(x)
x.__str__() <==> str(x)

Class Variable Summary
getset_descriptor closed = <attribute 'closed' of 'file' objects>
member_descriptor encoding = <member 'encoding' of 'file' objects>
member_descriptor mode = <member 'mode' of 'file' objects>
member_descriptor name = <member 'name' of 'file' objects>
getset_descriptor newlines = <attribute 'newlines' of 'file' objects>
member_descriptor softspace = <member 'softspace' of 'file' objects>

Method Details

__init__(...)
(Constructor)

x.__init__(...) initializes x; see x.__class__.__doc__ for signature
Overrides:
__builtin__.object.__init__

__delattr__(...)

x.__delattr__('name') <==> del x.name
Overrides:
__builtin__.object.__delattr__

__getattribute__(...)

x.__getattribute__('name') <==> x.name
Overrides:
__builtin__.object.__getattribute__

__iter__(x)

x.__iter__() <==> iter(x)
Returns:
iter(x)

__new__(T, S, ...)

T.__new__(S, ...) -> a new object with type S, a subtype of T
Returns:
a new object with type S, a subtype of T
Overrides:
__builtin__.object.__new__

__repr__(x)
(Representation operator)

x.__repr__() <==> repr(x)
Returns:
repr(x)
Overrides:
__builtin__.object.__repr__

__setattr__(...)

x.__setattr__('name', value) <==> x.name = value
Overrides:
__builtin__.object.__setattr__

close()

Sets data attribute .closed to True. A closed file cannot be used for further I/O operations. close() may be called more than once without error. Some kinds of file objects (for example, opened by popen()) may return an exit status upon closing.
Returns:
None or (perhaps) an integer

fileno()

This is needed for lower-level file interfaces, such os.read().
Returns:
integer "file descriptor"

flush()

flush() -> None. Flush the internal I/O buffer.
Returns:
None

isatty()

isatty() -> true or false. True if the file is connected to a tty device.
Returns:
true or false

next(x)

x.next() -> the next value, or raise StopIteration
Returns:
the next value, or raise StopIteration

read(size=...)

If the size argument is negative or omitted, read until EOF is reached. Notice that when in non-blocking mode, less data than what was requested may be returned, even if no size parameter was given.
Returns:
read at most size bytes, returned as a string

readinto()

readinto() -> Undocumented. Don't use this; it may go away.
Returns:
Undocumented

readline(size=...)

Retain newline. A non-negative size argument limits the maximum number of bytes to return (an incomplete line may be returned then). Return an empty string at EOF.
Returns:
next line from the file, as a string

readlines(size=...)

Call readline() repeatedly and return a list of the lines so read. The optional size argument, if given, is an approximate bound on the total number of bytes in the lines returned.
Returns:
list of strings, each a line from the file

seek(offset, whence=...)

Argument offset is a byte count. Optional argument whence defaults to 0 (offset from start of file, offset should be >= 0); other values are 1 (move relative to current position, positive or negative), and 2 (move relative to end of file, usually negative, although many platforms allow seeking beyond the end of a file). If the file is opened in text mode, only offsets returned by tell() are legal. Use of other offsets causes undefined behavior. Note that not all file objects are seekable.
Returns:
None

tell()

tell() -> current file position, an integer (may be a long integer).
Returns:
current file position, an integer (may be a long integer).

truncate(size=...)

Size defaults to the current file position, as returned by tell().
Returns:
None

write(str)

Note that due to buffering, flush() or close() may be needed before the file on disk reflects the data written.
Returns:
None

writelines(sequence_of_strings)

Note that newlines are not added. The sequence can be any iterable object producing strings. This is equivalent to calling write() for each string.
Returns:
None

xreadlines()

For backward compatibility. File objects now include the performance optimizations previously implemented in the xreadlines module.
Returns:
returns self

Class Variable Details

closed

Type:
getset_descriptor
Value:
<attribute 'closed' of 'file' objects>                                 

encoding

Type:
member_descriptor
Value:
<member 'encoding' of 'file' objects>                                  

mode

Type:
member_descriptor
Value:
<member 'mode' of 'file' objects>                                      

name

Type:
member_descriptor
Value:
<member 'name' of 'file' objects>                                      

newlines

Type:
getset_descriptor
Value:
<attribute 'newlines' of 'file' objects>                               

softspace

Type:
member_descriptor
Value:
<member 'softspace' of 'file' objects>                                 

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