In this Lesson we learn about How To Read an External Text File into an Array in Python by making a Fun Homework Excuses Program.
We find out to make an Input Text File using Windows Notepad (or any other basic Text Editor like the Free Download Notepad ++)
We then need to create a Python File Input Loop that can read the Input File Line by Line and store each line separately in an Array.
We strongly suggest getting these Downloads as well as watching the Lesson Video.
The Lesson Downloads explain in detail how we do the Python Coding which is needed to read the Input File into an Array, and then randomly select an indexed record from the Array and Display it.
These downloads also contain a Challenge Task to check and reinforce Student Learning.
If you are a Teacher or Instructor then click the DOWNLOADS link below and get the lesson materials for your students.
The Downloads are critically important if your school or institution blocks or discourages YouTube Videos.
The Lesson can be fully completed using the Download Guides without watching the Video.
Give the Overview and Step by Step Guide PDFs to your students and we think you will find that some of them will "get it" very quickly.
As a BONUS for this lesson, the "HomeworkExcuses.txt" and the "Horoscopes.txt" text files are also included in the Downloads, so that Teachers can give these to students to save them time while developing the Homework Excuses Program.
The other students will greatly benefit from watching the video for this lesson which goes through everything in full detail slowly with step by step with repetition of examples.
Or simply use the Downloads to do your own in class Presentation and Lesson on Reading Input Files into Arrays in Python.
Because we are a slow talker, make sure students use the YouTube Player Bar Tools Cog to set the speed to 1.5x or even 1.75x
Note that the example Lesson Images shown on this web page are basic Printscreens, whereas the actual original Images are of perfect clarity and quality in both the downloadable PDF Guide and Word Document for this lesson.
LESSON OVERVIEW
This lesson consists of a Video Presentation and Written Instructions where we cover the following:
- Introduction and Preview of Finished Program
- Using Windows Notepad to make an Input Text File
- How to Read an Input File Line By Line into an Array
- Learning Objectives for this Lesson
- Preview of Challenge Task
- V1 - Read Input File and Load its Lines into an Array
- V2 – Avoiding File Not Found Program Crash
- V3 – Remove the Debug Print and Get User Input
- V4 – Finishing the Program using Supplied Pseudocode
- Two ways of Randomly Selecting an item from an Array
- Challenge Task - Horrible Horoscopes
- Our Website Python Programming Course
- Video Wrap Up and Outro
Watch the following YouTube Video Tutorial about the Homework Excuser.
USE THE YOU TUBE PLAYER TOOLS COG TO WATCH THE VIDEO AT 1.5X OR EVEN 1.75X SPEED.
We highly recommend you use the RESOURCE MATERIALS available below
to follow along step by step with the Tutorial Video.
The YouTube Video is free to watch as many times as you want, and the Lesson Build Guide including all required Images and full program code listing(s) are available at a small cost which can be paid for and downloaded using PayPal.
Before purchasing and downloading the following resources, check first with your Teacher or Instructor, as they may already have copies of these documents to give to you.
Our Programming Learning Modules are designed for complete beginners, and they have been extensively trialled with High School students learning Programming for the first time. They have a proven track record of being able to get everyone up and running with Python - the world's most popular Beginner Programmer's language.
We highly recommend using the Step by Step Summary Guide as well as the other support materials to maximise learning outcomes.
Our students have found the Summary Guide to be far more useful than re-watching the Video, when it comes time for them to apply their newly acquired skills to Application Build tasks.
Prices for the Resource Package including the Guide, Images, Form Design, and full Program Code Listings are:
A Single Computer Licence for Personal Use is $AUD 1.93 (Approx $US 1.30).
A Site Licence for Business or Education Training for up to 30 people is $AUD 3.83 (Approx $US 2.60).
Licence Documentation will be included in your Downloads.
Click the appropriate PayPal Button below to be taken to PayPal's secured Gateway and complete your purchase.
The Transaction will be labelled on your PayPal Statement as "PASSYTUTES", and upon payment completion you need to click the PayPal option to "RETURN TO SELLER'S WEBSITE". (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AS SELECTING THE "RETURN TO SELLER'S WEBSITE" OPTION TAKES YOU THROUGH TO OUR SECURE DOWNLOADS PAGE.)
On the Downloads Page you will be able to easily and directly Download your purchased Digital Products.
If you experience any problems please email us immediately at:
One known issue is that if you PayPal buy using Microsoft Edge, it often displays prices with A's around them like: A$1.93A.
The Edge purchase will work okay, but it is probably best to do Pay Pal purchases using Google Chrome as your browser.