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python file API

Oscar Benjamin oscar.j.benjamin at gmail.com
Mon Sep 24 17:56:35 EDT 2012 
On 24 September 2012 22:35, zipher <dreamingforward at gmail.com> wrote:

> For some time now, I've wanted to suggest a better abstraction for the
> <file> type in Python.  It currently uses an antiquated C-style interface
> for moving around in a file, with methods like tell() and seek().  But
> after attributes were introduced to Python, it seems it should be
> re-addressed.
>
> Let file-type have an attribute .pos for position.   Now you can get rid
> of the seek() and tell() methods and manipulate the file pointer more
> easily with standard arithmetic operations.
>
> >>> file.pos = x0ae1      #move file pointer to an absolute address
> >>> file.pos +=1            #increment the file pointer one byte
> >>> curr_pos = file.pos  #read current file pointer
>

seek() and tell() can raise exceptions on some files. Exposing pos as an
attribute and allowing it to be manipulated with attribute access gives the
impression that it is always meaningful to do so.

Oscar
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