How Can I Append Data to a File in Python Without Overwriting Existing Content?

Overcoming File Overwriting: A Guide to Appending to Files

In the realm of file handling, it's often necessary to add new data to an existing file without losing its original contents. This guide unveils the secret of appending to files in Python, a task that may seem daunting at first.

Problem:

How can I avoid overwriting an existing file and instead append new data to it?

Solution:

The key lies in the mode parameter passed to the open() function. By default, open() operates in "w" (write) mode, which overwrites any existing file content. To append to a file, we need to set the mode to "a" (append).

Implementation:

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

In this example, we open the "test.txt" file in append mode. Any data written to myfile will be appended to the existing content of the file, preserving the original data.

Reference:

The Python documentation provides a comprehensive list of all available file modes, which are essential for tailoring file handling to specific requirements.

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