read and write from and to file using functions - python-3.x

Question

I'm trying to create 2 functions.
readfiles(file_path), That reads a file specified by file_path and returns a list of strings containing each line in the file.
writefiles(lines, file_path) That writes line by line the content of the list lines to the file specified by file_path.
When used one after another the output file should be an exact copy of the input file(including the formatting)
This is what i have so far.
file_path = ("/myfolder/text.txt", "r")
def readfiles(file_path):
with open file_path as f:
for line in f:
return line
lst = list[]
lst = line
lst.append(line)
return lst
read_file(file_path)
lines = lst []
def writefiles(lines, file_path):
with open ("file_path", "w") as f:
for line in lst:
f.write(line)
f.write("\n")
I can get it to kind of work when I use this for read
with open("/myfolder/text.txt", "r") as f:
for line in f:
print(line, end='')
and this for write
with open ("/myfolder/text.txt", "w") as f:
for line in f:
f.write(line)
f.write("\n")
But when I try to put them into functions it all messes up.
I'm not sure why, I know it's a simple question but it's just not clicking for me. I've read documentation on it but I'm not following it fully and am at my wits end. What's wrong with my functions?
I get varying errors from
lst = list[]
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
to
lst or list is not callable
Also I know there are similar questions but the ones I found don't seem to define a function.

Answer 1

The problems with your code are explained as comments
file_path = ("/myfolder/text.txt", "r") # this is a tupple of 2 elements should be file_path = "/myfolder/text.txt"
def readfiles(file_path):
with open file_path as f: # "open" is a function and will probably throw an error if you use it without parenthesis
# use open this way: open(file_path, "r")
for line in f:
return line # it will return the first line and exit the function
lst = list[] # "lst = []" is how you define a list in python. also you want to define it outside the loop
lst = line # you are replacing the list lst with the string in line
lst.append(line) # will throw an error because lst is a string now and doesn't have the append method
return lst
read_file(file_path) # should be lines = read_file(file_path)
lines = lst [] # lines is an empty list
def writefiles(lines, file_path):
with open ("file_path", "w") as f:
for line in lst: # this line should have 1 more tabulation
f.write(line) # this line should have 1 more tabulation
f.write("\n") # this line should have 1 more tabulation
Here's how the code should look like
def readfiles(file_path):
lst = []
with open(file_path) as f:
for line in f:
lst.append(line.strip("\n"))
return lst
def writefiles(lines, file_path):
with open(file_path, "w") as f:
for line in lines:
f.write(line + "\n")
file_path = "/myfolder/text.txt"
filepathout = "myfolder/text2.txt"
lines = readfiles(file_path)
writefiles(lines, filepathout)
A more pythonic way to do it
# readlines is a built-in function in python
with open(file_path) as f:
lines = f.readlines()
# stripping line returns
lines = [line.strip("\n") for line in lines]
# join will convert the list to a string by adding a \n between the list elements
with open(filepathout, "w") as f:
f.write("\n".join(lines))
key points:
- the function stops after reaching the return statement
- be careful where you define your variable.
i.e "lst" in a for loop will get redefined after each iteration
defining variables:
- for a list: list_var = []
- for a tuple: tup_var = (1, 2)
- for an int: int_var = 3
- for a dictionary: dict_var = {}
- for a string: string_var = "test"

Answer 2

A couple learning points here that will help.
In your reading function, you are kinda close. However, you cannot put the return statement in the loop. As soon as the function hits that anywhere for the first time, it ends. Also, if you are going to make a container to hold the list of things read, you need to make that before you start your loop. Lastly, don't name anything list. It is a keyword. If you want to make a new list item, just do something like: results = list() or results = []
So in pseudocode, you should:
Make a list to hold results
Open the file as you are now
Make a loop to loop through lines
append to the results list
return the results (outside the loop)
Your writefiles is very close. You should be looping through the lines variable that is a parameter of your function. Right now you are referencing lst which is not a parameter of your function.
Good luck!