read input file a line as a list in python

[Matteo Dell'Amico]

Yong Wang wrote:
> Hi, All:
>     I need to read a input file as soucre to process data. Ideally
> if I can read a line from input file as a list (coloumn separate by
> white space), reorganize field in a line. Does python has this kind of 
> command ? 
>    for example, I read a line has:
>    "IP  MAC Date..." as a line from input file, How  can I only get MAC ?
>     Thanks,
> 
>     Yong

If I understood you correctly, this should do something like what you want:

for line in file("filename"):
     ip, mac, date = line.split()
     print mac

-- 
Ciao,
Matteo