Python Read File Line by Line | ReadLines | Examples

In python, you can read The text from a text file using inbuilt methods. Python Read File Line by line text from the file is comes under the FileHandling. You have to use an open class (function) to get a file object than with the file object can use Readline() function or other function for reading a file line by line.

Syntax

fileObj=open("filname","mode")
content=fileObj.readlines() #returns a array of lines.

The open() function needs two parameters first is filename then another mode. The filename will be a file path with a name or only a file name. A mode as per required operation on the file.

Modes

Here is a detail of File Handling mode in python.

There are more modes available to handle a file, follow this tutorial – Python File Handling Introduction.

Python Read File Line by Line Example

Pass the file name and mode (r mode for read-only in the file) in the open() function. Then using for loop to get the value line by line. The readlines() function returns an array( Lists ) of the line, we will see the next example.

fileObj = open("testFile.txt", "r")

for line in fileObj.readlines():
    print(line)
fileObj.close()

Output:  EyeHunts

Python

Another Example to see return readlines() 

A return value of readlines() function is lists(Array) with \n.

File screenshot

fileObj = open("testFile.txt", "r")

content = fileObj.readlines()
print(content)

Output: [‘EyeHunts\n’, ‘Python\n’, ‘Tutorial’]

QA: How to read a complete text file line by line using Python?

Here is another way to read file line by line in Python.

with open('testFile.txt') as fp:
    line = fp.readline()
    lineNumberCount = 1
    while line:
        print("Line {}: {}".format(lineNumberCount, line.strip()))
        line = fp.readline()
        lineNumberCount += 1

Output: Line 1: EyeHunts Python Tutorial
Line 2: Python read file line by line

Do comment if you have any suggestions and doubts on this tutorial.

Note: This example (Project) is developed in PyCharm 2018.2 (Community Edition)
JRE: 1.8.0
JVM: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM by JetBrains s.r.o
macOS 10.13.6

Python 3.7

All Examples of File Reading are in Python 3, so it may change its different from python 2 or upgraded versions.