How to Check if a Text File is Empty in Python?

Determining the Emptiness of a Text File

In the realm of programming, it is often necessary to ascertain whether a particular file contains any data or is void. This article delves into the query: "How can we determine if a text file is empty or not?"

Python, a versatile programming language, provides a straightforward solution to this problem. By leveraging the os.stat() function, we can retrieve an array of attributes about the file, including its size.

Answer to the Query:

<code class="python">import os
empty_check = os.stat("file").st_size == 0</code>

This snippet of code imports the os module and retrieves file attributes using the stat() function. The st_size attribute represents the size of the file in bytes. By comparing this value to zero, we can determine if the file is empty.

Explanation:

If the st_size attribute equals zero, it signifies that the file is devoid of content and is considered empty. Conversely, if the attribute value is greater than zero, the file contains some data. The result of this comparison is stored in the empty_check variable, allowing us to further evaluate the file's status in our code.

This method provides a concise and effective means of ascertaining whether a text file is empty or not, enabling programmers to implement appropriate actions based on the file's contents or lack thereof.

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