How Can I Append to a File Instead of Overwriting It in Python?

Appending to Files vs. Overwriting

In Python, accessing a file for writing by default overwrites its contents. To append to an existing file instead, you can utilize the open() function's mode parameter.

Solution:

To append to a file, set the mode argument in open() to "a" (append). This allows you to continue writing content to the file without erasing the existing data.

Here's an example:

with open("test.txt", "a") as myfile:
    myfile.write("appended text")

In this example, the file "test.txt" is opened in append mode. The myfile object can then be used to write content to the file without overwriting the previous contents.

Alternative Modes:

The open() function supports various modes for file access. The following modes are commonly used:

• "w" (write): Opens the file for writing and overwrites existing contents.
• "r" (read): Opens the file for reading.
• "a" (append): Opens the file for appending.
• "r " (read and write): Opens the file for both reading and writing, starting at the beginning of the file.
• "w " (write and read): Opens the file for both writing and reading, overwriting existing contents and starting at the beginning of the file.

By understanding and utilizing the appropriate modes, you can effectively control how Python accesses and modifies files.

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