Files

• Define files
• Text Files
• Binary Files
• Directories
• File Paths
• File Referencing

Define files

• Resource for storing data
• Stored as a one-dimensional array byte format (giant string)
• most data is generated externally
• allows easy exchange of data

Types of files: Text files and Binary files

Text Files

• human readable
• consists mainly of alphanumeric characters
• Unicode enables non-English characters

Binary Files

• has specific formats and usually, we can just download specialized modules to deal with them.
• Application readable data (usually not human readable, ther are non-visible characters)
• no limited to cisible characters
• can contain pictures, sound, encrypted data, executable code, etc..

Directories

• containers of files
• also known as folders
• organized in a hierarchy
• location of program started is the current working directory (this is the directory from which a python program is started.)

File Paths

• location of a file in a file system
• String if directories and the filename
• Directories are indicated nby trailing forward slash (/)
• a single forward slash (/) refers to the top-level directory

File Referencing

• can be specified in three ways:
  • filename only
  • absolute path format

  • relative path format

  • filename only:
    • Reference just the filename itself
    • assumes file is in the current working directory
  • absolute path format:
    • Complete pathname and the filename
    • Slash character (/) is the directory separator
    • might not work on another system
  • relative path format
    • partial pathname and the filename
    • Current working directory part can be omitted

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