Does Python support a peek like method for its file objects?

[Blair P. Houghton]

Here's a version that should work in text mode as well:

fp = file("some file on disk", "r")
b = ""
while 1:
    p = fp.tell()
    # peek at the next byte; moves file position only if a byte is read
    c = fp.read(1)
    # decide whether to read it
    if c == "?":
        # pretend we never read the byte
        fp.seek(p)
        break
    # now read the byte "for real"
    b = c
    if not b:
        # we've reached the end of the file
        break
fp.close() 

--Blair