file i/o !!! help

[tdoe]

Hi,
im very new to using python, and im having a TERRIBLE time trying to find
some example scripts for FILE I/O !!!!
all i want to do is read a "comma" or "space" delimited list of numbers from
a file such as:

1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12

and input them into a floating point list variable.

well, this is probably a "cinch", but
for me this has been tough.

any help very appriciated.
thanks,
todd
tcdoe at pitt.edu