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(i) Differentiate between r+ and w+ file modes in Python
Answer
Answer by student
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r+ |
w+ |
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Does not truncate the file |
Truncates the file |
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Raises an error if the file does not exist |
Creates a new file if it does not exist |
Detailed answer by teachoo
The r+ and w+ file modes in Python are two of the possible modes that can be used with the built-in open function.
The r+ and w+ modes are both combinations of read and write modes, but they have different behaviors:
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r+ |
w+ |
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Opens a file for both reading and writing. The file pointer is placed at the beginning of the file. |
Opens a file for both reading and writing. If the file exists, it truncates (clears) the file before writing . If the file does not exist, it creates a new file for reading and writing. |
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Does not truncate (clear) the existing contents of the file before writing new data. |
Truncates (clears) the existing contents of the file before writing new data. |
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Raises a FileNotFoundError exception if the file does not exist. |
Creates a new file if it does not exist. |
The main difference between r+ and w+ is that r+ preserves the existing contents of the file, while w+ deletes them. This means that r+ can be used to modify an existing file without losing any data, while w+ can be used to overwrite an existing file or create a new one.
Another difference is that r+ requires that the file already exists, while w+ does not. This means that r+ can be used to access an existing file, while w+ can be used to create a new one.
