Files & data
Read and write files safely; parse JSON, CSV, and common text formats.
File Data Helper Functions in Python
Read and write text and JSON files, and list files in a directory, using pathlib-based helper functions.
from pathlib import Path
def load_text_file(filepath):
"""Read a text file and return its contents as a string."""
path = Path(filepath)
if not path.exists():
raise FileNotFoundError(f"File not found: {filepath}")
return path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
def save_text_file(filepath, content):
…How to List File Information in a Directory with Python
A helper that walks a directory and returns each file's name, size, and extension as a list of dictionaries.
from pathlib import Path
def get_files_data(directory: str) -> list[dict]:
"""Return basic info about all files in a directory."""
files = []
for path in Path(directory).iterdir():
if path.is_file():
files.append({
"name": path.name,
"size": path.stat()…How to Merge Dicts from Two JSON Files Like a Pro
This helper reads two JSON files that contain dicts, merges them with the second file overriding duplicate keys, and saves the result to a new file.
import json
from pathlib import Path
def merge_json_files(file1: str, file2: str, output: str = "merged.json") -> dict:
"""Merge two JSON files containing dicts, with file2 overriding file1."""
data1 = json.loads(Path(file1).read_text())
data2 = json.loads(Path(file2).read_text())
merged = {**data1,…How to Read and Write Files in Python (JSON + Text)
A beginner-friendly helper module to read and write JSON and text files using Python's pathlib and json standard library modules.
import json
from pathlib import Path
def load_json_file(filepath):
"""Load data from a JSON file and return as dict/list."""
path = Path(filepath)
with path.open("r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
return json.load(f)
def save_json_file(filepath, data):
"""Save data to a JSON file."""
path = P…How to Read and Write Text Files in Python
This code provides simple helper functions to save and load text files using Python's standard pathlib library.
from pathlib import Path
def save_text_data(filename: str, content: str) -> None:
file_path = Path(filename)
file_path.write_text(content, encoding="utf-8")
def load_text_data(filename: str) -> str:
file_path = Path(filename)
return file_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
if __name__ == "__main__":…How to Validate a JSON File in Python
A beginner-friendly Python helper that reads a JSON file, catches common errors, and returns a status dictionary.
import json
from pathlib import Path
def get_valid_json_data(file_path: str) -> dict:
file = Path(file_path)
if not file.exists():
return {"status": "error", "message": f"File not found: {file_path}"}
try:
data = json.loads(file.read_text())
except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
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Files & data — Python code examples
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