Newbie array question

[Neale]

My first task with Python is to scan multiple small text files and
"batch together" those records with a "5" or "6" in column 2, and then
save as a new file. The records are 256 characters. I know it sounds
like a homework problem, but it's not.

My math brain wants to dump all the records into a big 2-D array and
sort on the second column. Then "compress out" all the records whose
second character isn't "5" or "6". Easy to say.

Is this the right strategy for using Python? Does it even have a
"compress out" function?