CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythonfileinput
Michael Cividanes
Michael Cividanes

Reputation: 109

using the input file object to read a variable from a file in python

So I'm thinking this is one of those problems where I can't see the forest for the tree. Here is the assignment:

Using the file object input, write code that read an integer from a file called rawdata into a variable datum (make sure you assign an integer value to datum). Open the file at the beginning of your code, and close it at the end.

okay so first thing: I thought the input function was for assigning data to an object such as a variable, not for reading data from an object. Wouldn't that be read.file_name ?

But I gave it shot:

infile = open('rawdata','r')
datum = int(input.infile())
infile.close()

Now first problem... MyProgrammingLab doesn't want to grade it. By that I mean I type in the code, click 'submit' and I get the "Checking" screen. And that's it. At the time of writing this, my latest attempt to submit as been 'checking' for 11 minutes. It's not giving me an error, it's just not... 'checking' I guess.

Now at the moment I can't use Python to try the program because it's looking for a while and I'm on a school computer that is write locked, so even if I have the code right (I doubt it), the program will fail to run because it can neither find the file rawdata nor create it.

So... what's the deal? Am I reading the instructions wrong or is it telling me to use input in some other way then I'm trying to use it? Or am I supposed to be using a different method?

Upvotes: 2

Views: 5933

Answers (2)

Simsam
Simsam

Reputation: 1

Currently taking this class and figured this out. This is my contribution to all of us college peeps just trying to make it through, lol. MPL accepts this answer.

input = open('rawdata','r')
datum = int(input.readline())
input.close()

Upvotes: -1

wpercy
wpercy

Reputation: 10090

You are so close. You're just using the file object slightly incorrectly. Once it's open, you can just .read() it, and get the value.

It would probably look something like this

infile = open('rawdata','r')
datum = int(infile.read())
infile.close()

I feel like your confusion is based purely on the wording of the question - the term "file object input" can certainly be confusing if you haven't worked with Python I/O before. In this case, the "file object" is infile and the "input" would be the rawdata file, I suppose.

Upvotes: 2

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