Recipes: File Handling

Short, task-focused how-tos for specific things you'll want to do with files. Each recipe assumes you already know the basics — if a term surprises you, the Learn section is one click away.

Unlike the tutorials, the recipes don't have a recommended order. Pick whichever is useful right now.

Recipes in this guide

• Process large files — reading files that don't fit in memory, line-by-line processing, and why generators help.
• Work with binary files — opening files in binary mode, handling bytes, and packing/unpacking simple formats.
• Manage temporary files — tempfile for scratch files that clean up after themselves.
• Avoid common file handling mistakes — forgotten closes, encoding surprises, and other traps.