File handling

When we create and use , , constants and tuples in our programming, the values held in these data stores are held in RAM (Random Access Memory).

As RAM is , data will be lost when the computer is turned off. If we want to access the data from our programs, we will have to write the data to a stored on .

Reading from text files:

	Pseudocode	Explanation
Reading one line	`myFile=open("data.txt","r")line=myFile.readLine()myFile.close()`	Opens the file data called 'data.txt' and stores the contents in a variable 'myFile'. Reads the first line and stores in a variable called 'line'. Closes the file.
Reading all the lines	`myFile=open("data.txt","r")lines=myFile.readLines()myFile.close()`	Opens the file data and stores the contents in a variable 'myFile'. Reads all the lines in the file and stores in a variable called 'lines'. Closes the file.
Alternatively	`withopen("data.txt","r")asmyFile: forlinein myFile: print(line)`	Using a 'with loop', only keeps the file open for the duration of the loop. This will prevent the file being locked, if required later.

Reading one line
Pseudocode	`myFile=open("data.txt","r")line=myFile.readLine()myFile.close()`
Explanation	Opens the file data called 'data.txt' and stores the contents in a variable 'myFile'. Reads the first line and stores in a variable called 'line'. Closes the file.

Reading all the lines
Pseudocode	`myFile=open("data.txt","r")lines=myFile.readLines()myFile.close()`
Explanation	Opens the file data and stores the contents in a variable 'myFile'. Reads all the lines in the file and stores in a variable called 'lines'. Closes the file.

Alternatively
Pseudocode	`withopen("data.txt","r")asmyFile: forlinein myFile: print(line)`
Explanation	Using a 'with loop', only keeps the file open for the duration of the loop. This will prevent the file being locked, if required later.

Writing to text files:

	Pseudocode	Explanation
Writing a line to a file	`myFile=open("data.txt","w")myFile.write("Hello World")myFile.close()`	The file data is open and stored in the variable 'myFile'. The string "Hello World" is written to the file. The file is closed.
Alternatively	`with open("data.txt","w")asmyFile: data = 'Once upon a time...' myFile.write(data)`	File is open in write mode using a 'with loop'. A string is assigned to a variable called 'data'. The variable is written to the file. The file does not need to be closed.

Writing a line to a file
Pseudocode	`myFile=open("data.txt","w")myFile.write("Hello World")myFile.close()`
Explanation	The file data is open and stored in the variable 'myFile'. The string "Hello World" is written to the file. The file is closed.

Alternatively
Pseudocode	`with open("data.txt","w")asmyFile: data = 'Once upon a time...' myFile.write(data)`
Explanation	File is open in write mode using a 'with loop'. A string is assigned to a variable called 'data'. The variable is written to the file. The file does not need to be closed.

There are three modes in which files can be opened. Read mode will allow you to read from a file, write mode will allow you to write to the file, and append mode will allow you to append the file (add to the end of it).

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File handling - Programming constructs - CCEA - GCSE Digital Technology (CCEA) Revision - BBC Bitesize (2024)

FAQs

What is file handling in programming? ›

The process of file handling refers to how we store the available data or info in a file with the help of a program. The C language stores all the data available in a program into a file with the help of file handling in C.

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What is digital technology CCEA? ›

This includes computer architecture, networks, web technology, digital media, programming tools and software applications. Digital technology affects many parts of our lives, from work and travel to entertainment and banking. There is also a growing demand for workers with specialist digital skills.

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What is an array in GCSE? ›

An array is a set of values of the same data type. stored under one identifier.

What is a zero-indexed array in GCSE? ›

Zero-based Indexing: In this system, prevalent in many programming languages, the index of the first element is 0.

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What is file handling in GCSE? ›

File handling operations refer to processes that enable programs to create, open, read, write, and close files. Files can contain text, data, or binary information and are stored permanently in a storage device.

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Why is file handling useful? ›

When programming, it is useful to be able to work with files and data that is stored out with the code in an external file. This can be very useful when you want to import a large amount of information into the program rather than having to type it in manually.

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What is an array for dummies? ›

An array is a set of variables referenced by using a single variable name combined with an index number. Each item of an array is an element. All the elements in an array must be of the same type. Thus, the array itself has a type that specifies what kind of elements it can contain.

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What is the difference between array and list in GCSE? ›

The difference is that list values are stored non-contiguously. This means they do not have to be stored next to each other in memory, as data in arrays is stored. Lists can also contain elements of more than one data type, unlike arrays.

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Are Python arrays 0 or 1 indexed? ›

Indexing in Python starts at 0, which means that the first element in a sequence has an index of 0, the second element has an index of 1, and so on. For example, if we have a string "Hello", we can access the first letter "H" using its index 0 by using the square bracket notation: string[0] .

Are C++ arrays zero-indexed? ›

Do you know why the C++ array is indexed from zero and not one? This arithmetic operation only has + and * , so if the size of an array is n, then the starting index formula will execute slower due to the one extra operation overhead. This will, therefore, affect the time taken by the program for larger values of n.

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What is a 2D array in computer science? ›

A 2D array is a data structure that stores data in a grid format with rows and columns. Each element in a 2D array can be accessed using two indices, the first one representing the row number and the second one representing the column number.

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What does a mean in file handling? ›

File Handling

The open() function takes two parameters; filename, and mode. There are four different methods (modes) for opening a file: "r" - Read - Default value. Opens a file for reading, error if the file does not exist. "a" - Append - Opens a file for appending, creates the file if it does not exist.

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What does file handling mean Python? ›

File handling is an integral part of programming. File handling in Python is simplified with built-in methods, which include creating, opening, and closing files. While files are open, Python additionally allows performing various file operations, such as reading, writing, and appending information.

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What is file handling in Java? ›

File handling in Java implies reading from and writing data to a file. The File class from the java.io package, allows us to work with different formats of files. In order to use the File class, you need to create an object of the class and specify the filename or directory name.

What is file handling command? ›

Linux file management involves organizing, accessing, and manipulating files and directories within the Linux operating system. Users interact with files using commands like ls (list), cp (copy), mv (move), and rm (remove). Directories, or folders, provide a hierarchical structure for organizing files.

File handling - Programming constructs - CCEA - GCSE Digital Technology (CCEA) Revision - BBC Bitesize (2024)

File handling

Reading from text files:

Writing to text files:

FAQs

What is file handling in programming? ›

What is a 2D array in computer science? ›