How to read first N lines of a file?
PythonFileHeadPython Problem Overview
We have a large raw data file that we would like to trim to a specified size.
How would I go about getting the first N lines of a text file in python? Will the OS being used have any effect on the implementation?
Python Solutions
Solution 1 - Python
Python 3:
with open("datafile") as myfile:
head = [next(myfile) for x in range(N)]
print(head)
Python 2:
with open("datafile") as myfile:
head = [next(myfile) for x in xrange(N)]
print head
Here's another way (both Python 2 & 3):
from itertools import islice
with open("datafile") as myfile:
head = list(islice(myfile, N))
print(head)
Solution 2 - Python
N = 10
with open("file.txt", "a") as file: # the a opens it in append mode
for i in range(N):
line = next(file).strip()
print(line)
Solution 3 - Python
If you want to read the first lines quickly and you don't care about performance you can use .readlines()
which returns list object and then slice the list.
E.g. for the first 5 lines:
with open("pathofmyfileandfileandname") as myfile:
firstNlines=myfile.readlines()[0:5] #put here the interval you want
> Note: the whole file is read so is not the best from the performance point of view but it > is easy to use, fast to write and easy to remember so if you want just perform > some one-time calculation is very convenient
print firstNlines
One advantage compared to the other answers is the possibility to select easily the range of lines e.g. skipping the first 10 lines [10:30]
or the lasts 10 [:-10]
or taking only even lines [::2]
.
Solution 4 - Python
What I do is to call the N lines using pandas
. I think the performance is not the best, but for example if N=1000
:
import pandas as pd
yourfile = pd.read_csv('path/to/your/file.csv',nrows=1000)
Solution 5 - Python
There is no specific method to read number of lines exposed by file object.
I guess the easiest way would be following:lines =[]
with open(file_name) as f:
lines.extend(f.readline() for i in xrange(N))
Solution 6 - Python
The two most intuitive ways of doing this would be:
-
Iterate on the file line-by-line, and
break
afterN
lines. -
Iterate on the file line-by-line using the
next()
methodN
times. (This is essentially just a different syntax for what the top answer does.)
Here is the code:
# Method 1:
with open("fileName", "r") as f:
counter = 0
for line in f:
print line
counter += 1
if counter == N: break
# Method 2:
with open("fileName", "r") as f:
for i in xrange(N):
line = f.next()
print line
The bottom line is, as long as you don't use readlines()
or enumerate
ing the whole file into memory, you have plenty of options.
Solution 7 - Python
Based on gnibbler top voted answer (Nov 20 '09 at 0:27): this class add head() and tail() method to file object.
class File(file):
def head(self, lines_2find=1):
self.seek(0) #Rewind file
return [self.next() for x in xrange(lines_2find)]
def tail(self, lines_2find=1):
self.seek(0, 2) #go to end of file
bytes_in_file = self.tell()
lines_found, total_bytes_scanned = 0, 0
while (lines_2find+1 > lines_found and
bytes_in_file > total_bytes_scanned):
byte_block = min(1024, bytes_in_file-total_bytes_scanned)
self.seek(-(byte_block+total_bytes_scanned), 2)
total_bytes_scanned += byte_block
lines_found += self.read(1024).count('\n')
self.seek(-total_bytes_scanned, 2)
line_list = list(self.readlines())
return line_list[-lines_2find:]
Usage:
f = File('path/to/file', 'r')
f.head(3)
f.tail(3)
Solution 8 - Python
most convinient way on my own:
LINE_COUNT = 3
print [s for (i, s) in enumerate(open('test.txt')) if i < LINE_COUNT]
Solution based on List Comprehension The function open() supports an iteration interface. The enumerate() covers open() and return tuples (index, item), then we check that we're inside an accepted range (if i < LINE_COUNT) and then simply print the result.
Enjoy the Python. ;)
Solution 9 - Python
For first 5 lines, simply do:
N=5
with open("data_file", "r") as file:
for i in range(N):
print file.next()
Solution 10 - Python
If you want something that obviously (without looking up esoteric stuff in manuals) works without imports and try/except and works on a fair range of Python 2.x versions (2.2 to 2.6):
def headn(file_name, n):
"""Like *x head -N command"""
result = []
nlines = 0
assert n >= 1
for line in open(file_name):
result.append(line)
nlines += 1
if nlines >= n:
break
return result
if __name__ == "__main__":
import sys
rval = headn(sys.argv[1], int(sys.argv[2]))
print rval
print len(rval)
Solution 11 - Python
If you have a really big file, and assuming you want the output to be a numpy array, using np.genfromtxt will freeze your computer. This is so much better in my experience:
def load_big_file(fname,maxrows):
'''only works for well-formed text file of space-separated doubles'''
rows = [] # unknown number of lines, so use list
with open(fname) as f:
j=0
for line in f:
if j==maxrows:
break
else:
line = [float(s) for s in line.split()]
rows.append(np.array(line, dtype = np.double))
j+=1
return np.vstack(rows) # convert list of vectors to array
Solution 12 - Python
This worked for me
f = open("history_export.csv", "r")
line= 5
for x in range(line):
a = f.readline()
print(a)
Solution 13 - Python
I would like to handle the file with less than n-lines by reading the whole file
def head(filename: str, n: int):
try:
with open(filename) as f:
head_lines = [next(f).rstrip() for x in range(n)]
except StopIteration:
with open(filename) as f:
head_lines = f.read().splitlines()
return head_lines
Credit go to John La Rooy and Ilian Iliev. Use the function for the best performance with exception handle
Revise 1: Thanks FrankM for the feedback, to handle file existence and read permission we can futher add
import errno
import os
def head(filename: str, n: int):
if not os.path.isfile(filename):
raise FileNotFoundError(errno.ENOENT, os.strerror(errno.ENOENT), filename)
if not os.access(filename, os.R_OK):
raise PermissionError(errno.EACCES, os.strerror(errno.EACCES), filename)
try:
with open(filename) as f:
head_lines = [next(f).rstrip() for x in range(n)]
except StopIteration:
with open(filename) as f:
head_lines = f.read().splitlines()
return head_lines
You can either go with second version or go with the first one and handle the file exception later. The check is quick and mostly free from performance standpoint
Solution 14 - Python
Starting at Python 2.6, you can take advantage of more sophisticated functions in the IO base clase. So the top rated answer above can be rewritten as:
with open("datafile") as myfile:
head = myfile.readlines(N)
print head
(You don't have to worry about your file having less than N lines since no StopIteration exception is thrown.)
Solution 15 - Python
This works for Python 2 & 3:
from itertools import islice
with open('/tmp/filename.txt') as inf:
for line in islice(inf, N, N+M):
print(line)
Solution 16 - Python
fname = input("Enter file name: ")
num_lines = 0
with open(fname, 'r') as f: #lines count
for line in f:
num_lines += 1
num_lines_input = int (input("Enter line numbers: "))
if num_lines_input <= num_lines:
f = open(fname, "r")
for x in range(num_lines_input):
a = f.readline()
print(a)
else:
f = open(fname, "r")
for x in range(num_lines_input):
a = f.readline()
print(a)
print("Don't have", num_lines_input, " lines print as much as you can")
print("Total lines in the text",num_lines)
Solution 17 - Python
Here's another decent solution with a list comprehension:
file = open('file.txt', 'r')
lines = [next(file) for x in range(3)] # first 3 lines will be in this list
file.close()
Solution 18 - Python
#!/usr/bin/python
import subprocess
p = subprocess.Popen(["tail", "-n 3", "passlist"], stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
output, err = p.communicate()
print output
This Method Worked for me
Solution 19 - Python
Simply Convert your CSV file object to a list using list(file_data)
import csv;
with open('your_csv_file.csv') as file_obj:
file_data = csv.reader(file_obj);
file_list = list(file_data)
for row in file_list[:4]:
print(row)