Difference between readlines() and iterating on a file object?

[Michael Hudson]

Duncan Booth <duncan.booth at invalid.invalid> writes:

> "Richard" <richardd at hmgcc.gov.uk> wrote in
> news:411cd102$1 at mail.hmgcc.gov.uk: 
> 
> > Hi,
> > 
> > Can anyone tell me what the difference is between
> > 
> > for line in file.readlines( ):
> 
> reads the entire file into memory and splits it up into a list of lines 
> then iterates over the list. If you break from the loop, tough you've lost 
> any lines that were read but you didn't handle.
> 
> > 
> > and
> > 
> > for line in file:
> 
> reads part of the file and strips off one line at a time. Never creates a 
> list. Reads more only when it runs out of the block it read. If you break 
> from the loop you can do another 'for line in file' and get the remaining 
> lines.

But this last part only works the way you expect in 2.3, I think.

Cheers,
mwh

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