Newbie - help in opening and reading a file from >>>

[Dennis E. Hamilton]

Dan,

I just did

	>>> f = open('c:\\autoexec.bat')

with Python 1.5.2 on Windows 98 SE and it worked just fine.  I surmise you
were caught by the
\-as-escape-character feature of Python strings.  (It's the same feature in
C and C++ and Java, so it is a lesson you only have to learn once.)

This is probably in the FAQ somewhere (I'm one of those people who hasn't
RTFAQ yet).

Here's the basic principle: To put a single \-character into a simple text
string, you write two consecutive \-characters.

Here's more than you might want to know right now:  When a \-character
occurs in a string literal, it is treated as an "escape" that has the
immediately-following character(s) be interpreted differently.  This device
allows you to create the character codes for some special characters
(including and ' and ") in strings.  The way to get a literal \-character is
to escape one: write one \-character followed by another.  Tidy, huh?

There's nothing obvious about this.  It is one of those things you just have
to learn.

There is a python-tutor list that is a good place to discuss more of these
kinds of things.  Visit   http://www.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor for
more information.

-- Dennis
------------------
Dennis E. Hamilton
InfoNuovo
mailto:infonuovo at email.com
tel. +1-206-779-9430 (gsm)
fax. +1-425-793-0283
http://www.infonuovo.com

-----Original Message-----
From: python-list-admin at python.org
[mailto:python-list-admin at python.org]On Behalf Of Dan Howard
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2000 10:10
To: python-list at python.org
Subject: Newbie - help in opening and reading a file from >>>


Hi
I've just installed 1.5 on my Windows 98Se system
I'm trying to execute the following-
>>>f=open('C:\Autoexec.bat')
and I get a no such directory or file error
Is there some parameter or path that I must set?
 Would apprecaite any clues...
Dan


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