In python how can I create a list in another .py file and write to it, also get its contents?

[Wictorian]

Using python I want to create another .py file. I know how to write and get thing to it. But how do I create a list and how do ı append to it. Also how do I get its contents?

[LAwLz]

I don't really understand what you are asking for.

 

Your goal is to have one script create another python script, correct?

 

You already know how to write and retrieve data from a file. Correct?

 

You want to know how to create a list and how to append to it?

 

 

Here is a good guide on how to read and write lists to and from a file using Python.

https://stackabuse.com/reading-and-writing-lists-to-a-file-in-python/

[Wictorian]

4 hours ago, LAwLz said:

I don't really understand what you are asking for.

 

Your goal is to have one script create another python script, correct?

 

You already know how to write and retrieve data from a file. Correct?

 

You want to know how to create a list and how to append to it?

 

 

Here is a good guide on how to read and write lists to and from a file using Python.

https://stackabuse.com/reading-and-writing-lists-to-a-file-in-python/

output:

€•        ]”Œsteam”a.€•       Œpath”.

 

I dont want anything other than "steam" and "path"

 

[C2dan88]

What is your code to get that output? You're doing something wrong to get those weird characters when writing steam and path to the file.

[Wictorian]

import pickle
apps = []
locations = []
fh = open("app locations.pkl", "wb")
apps.append(input())
locations.append(input())
print(apps)
pickle.dump(apps,fh)
print(locations)
pickle.dump(locations[0],fh)
fh.close()

This isnt from my the original source code of the app I am working on. 

I am experimenting with this right now.

@C2dan88

[C2dan88]

For simple text stored in a file you should not need to be reading/writing files in binary mode

fh = open("app locations.pkl", "w")

Thats probably why you are getting the weird characters

[Wictorian]

14 minutes ago, C2dan88 said:

For simple text stored in a file you should not need to be reading/writing files in binary mode

fh = open("app locations.pkl", "w")

Thats probably why you are getting the weird characters

now it gives this error

(I cant copy paste it for some reason so here is the screenshot)

[C2dan88]

Oh pickle writes in binary mode only. If you want the text file contents to be human readable then use json.

[Wictorian]

43 minutes ago, C2dan88 said:

Oh pickle writes in binary mode only. If you want the text file contents to be human readable then use json.

I dont want it to be human readable but when I get the data will I just get steam and path or will I get those weird symbols

[Wictorian]

6 hours ago, LAwLz said:

I don't really understand what you are asking for.

 

Your goal is to have one script create another python script, correct?

 

You already know how to write and retrieve data from a file. Correct?

 

You want to know how to create a list and how to append to it?

 

 

Here is a good guide on how to read and write lists to and from a file using Python.

https://stackabuse.com/reading-and-writing-lists-to-a-file-in-python/

oh you got me wrong. I dont wanna write the contents. I wanna create a list.

[C2dan88]

1 hour ago, Wictorian said:

I dont want it to be human readable but when I get the data will I just get steam and path or will I get those weird symbols

Then you need to use pickle.load to turn the values stored in the file back into a variable

demo code, you can add app name and path. Save to file and list them from the file.

import pickle

apppath_file = "app locations.pkl"  # file to save to
apps = {}  # global variable for storing app path, note app name will be used as dictionary key


def add_app():
    app = input("App name: ")
    path = input("App location: ")
    apps.update({app: path})  # add values to app variable, as key value dictionary pairs


def save_apps():
    fh = open(apppath_file, "wb")
    pickle.dump(apps, fh)  # save contents of apps variable to file
    print("Saved apps to file")
    fh.close()


def load_apps():
    with open(apppath_file, 'rb') as f:
        apps = pickle.load(f)  # unpickle contents of file, restoring apps variable
    count = len(apps)
    print(f"There are {count} apps stored in '{apppath_file}'!\nWhich are:")
    # list app name => path values
    for app_name in apps:
        path = apps[app_name]  # use app_name as dictionary key to get path
        print(app_name + ' => ' + path)
    print('')


def main():
    choice = ''
    while choice != 'q':
        print("Type number option:")
        print("\t1 - add app")
        print("\t2 - save to file")
        print("\t3 - load from file")
        print("\tq - quit")

        choice = input("Option: ")
        print('')
        if choice == '1':
            add_app()
        elif choice == '2':
            save_apps()
        elif choice == '3':
            load_apps()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

 

[Wictorian]

18 hours ago, C2dan88 said:

Then you need to use pickle.load to turn the values stored in the file back into a variable

demo code, you can add app name and path. Save to file and list them from the file.

import pickle

apppath_file = "app locations.pkl"  # file to save to
apps = {}  # global variable for storing app path, note app name will be used as dictionary key


def add_app():
    app = input("App name: ")
    path = input("App location: ")
    apps.update({app: path})  # add values to app variable, as key value dictionary pairs


def save_apps():
    fh = open(apppath_file, "wb")
    pickle.dump(apps, fh)  # save contents of apps variable to file
    print("Saved apps to file")
    fh.close()


def load_apps():
    with open(apppath_file, 'rb') as f:
        apps = pickle.load(f)  # unpickle contents of file, restoring apps variable
    count = len(apps)
    print(f"There are {count} apps stored in '{apppath_file}'!\nWhich are:")
    # list app name => path values
    for app_name in apps:
        path = apps[app_name]  # use app_name as dictionary key to get path
        print(app_name + ' => ' + path)
    print('')


def main():
    choice = ''
    while choice != 'q':
        print("Type number option:")
        print("\t1 - add app")
        print("\t2 - save to file")
        print("\t3 - load from file")
        print("\tq - quit")

        choice = input("Option: ")
        print('')
        if choice == '1':
            add_app()
        elif choice == '2':
            save_apps()
        elif choice == '3':
            load_apps()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

 

I actually have two lists, "apps" and "locations"

apps[0] has locations[0]

should I change that to what you did?

[C2dan88]

Not sure why you want separate lists. My example stores them as key, value pairs.

 

If you want to get a list of app names use

names = list(apps)
print(names)

Similarly if you only want the paths use

paths = list(apps.values())
print(paths)