Python Python printing to file

[Python] Python printing to file - Printable Version

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Python printing to file - Will Patterson - Sep 21, 2021

I'm stuck on this homework assignment that I have.
Below are the instructions for it

Quote:You are an English major who has been given assignment to analyze Dr. King's
"I Have A Dream" speech.
Open the file that contains Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech.
Print the total number of characters in the speech.
Open another file for output.
Write only the first paragraph of this speech to that file.

I finished the first 2 steps in the assignment which is in the code below:

Code 
# Open the file

inputFile = open("mlkspeech.txt", "r")

# Read the file

data = inputFile.read()

# Determine # of characters in file

numberOfCharacters = len(data)

print("Number of Characters in the file:", numberOfCharacters)

inputFile.close()

How would I open and create a new file and put the first paragraph of the MLK speech into it?
I believe we are supposed to use a while loop to do that

Thanks!

RE: Python printing to file - Donkey Death Jam - Sep 21, 2021

Code 
# Create the file with the 'w' option and alias the handle

with open("dream-first-para.txt", "w") as outputFile:

    # Find the index of the newline escape sequence

    endOfParagraph = data.find("\n\n")

    # Substring the from start to the newline index

    firstParagraph = data[:endOfParagraph]

    # Write the first paragraph

    outputFile.write(firstParagraph)

# With will terminate the file handle for you

Add this to the bottom of your current code and it should work.

RE: Python printing to file - Will Patterson - Sep 21, 2021

(Sep 21, 2021 02:52 PM)Donkey Death Jam Wrote:
Code
# Create the file with the 'w' option and alias the handle with open("dream-first-para.txt", "w") as outputFile: # Find the index of the newline escape sequence endOfParagraph = data.find("\n\n") # Substring the from start to the newline index firstParagraph = data[:endOfParagraph] # Write the first paragraph outputFile.write(firstParagraph) # With will terminate the file handle for you

Add this to the bottom of your current code and it should work.

Would there be another way to do it without using

Quote: # Substring the from start to the newline index
firstParagraph = data[:endOfParagraph]

Also, I appreciate the help :)

RE: Python printing to file - Donkey Death Jam - Sep 21, 2021

(Sep 21, 2021 03:04 PM)Will Patterson Wrote: Would there be another way to do it without using
Also, I appreciate the help :)

There are many ways to do it. If you want an explicit loop, you can do:

Code 
# Create the file with the 'w' option

with open("dream-first-para.txt", "w") as outputFile:

    # Loop through every character in the string

    newLineCount = 0

    for character in data:

        # Detect two new lines in a row

        if character == "\n":

            newLineCount += 1

        else:

            newLineCount = 0

        # If two in a row, we have written the paragraph, abort loop

        if (newLineCount > 1):

            break

        outputFile.write(character)

# With will terminate the file handle for you

RE: Python printing to file - Able. - Sep 25, 2021

use open() in python. You can use open with close, or use with open(). You can do searches on it.