Python - f.write 1 arguments, 2 given

Question

import os
from os import stat
from pwd import getpwuid

searchFolder = raw_input("Type in the directory you wish to search e.g \n /Users/bubble/Desktop/ \n\n\n")
resultsTxtLocation = raw_input("FIBS saves the results in a txt file. Where would you like to save results.txt? \nMust look like this: /users/bubble/desktop/workfile.txt \n\n\n") 

with open(resultsTxtLocation,'w') as f:
    f.write('You searched the following directory: \n' + searchFolder + '\n\n\n')
    f.write('Results for custom search: \n\n\n')
        for root, dirs, files in os.walk(searchFolder):
            for file in files:
                    pathName = os.path.join(root,file)
                    print pathName
                    print os.path.getsize(pathName)
                    print
                    print stat(searchFolder).st_uid
                    print getpwuid(stat(searchFolder).st_uid).pw_name
                    f.write('UID: \n'.format(stat(searchFolder).st_uid))
                    f.write('{}\n'.format(pathName))
                    f.write('Size in Bytes: {}\n\n'.format(os.path.getsize(pathName)))

I'm having trouble with this line:

f.write('UID: \n'.format(stat(searchFolder).st_uid))

I don't know what '{}\n'.format does, but someone suggested it in a previous question, so I thought it'd work here, but it doesn't.

Inside the output text file, I just get the following:

UID: /Users/bubble/Desktop/Plot 2.docx Size in Bytes: 110549

But it should say: UID: 501

How can I make the f.write understand two arguments and write it into the txt file?

many thanks

You forgot the `{}` in the string you're passing to `.write()`. — Tim Pietzcker, Jul 22 '13 at 12:45
Thanks, I added that and it works. What exactly is {} doing?? How come it works with those simple brackets?? — BubbleMonster, Jul 22 '13 at 12:47
It's the placeholder for the parameter in `.format()` (check out [format string syntax](http://docs.python.org/2/library/string.html#formatstrings)). — Tim Pietzcker, Jul 22 '13 at 12:48
Thanks Tim, very much appreciated. I'll check that link out now. — BubbleMonster, Jul 22 '13 at 12:48
Don't forget to upvote the answers given below. You now have enough reputation to do so :) — Tim Pietzcker, Jul 22 '13 at 13:03

score 2 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:29

change

f.write('UID: \n'.format(stat(searchFolder).st_uid))
f.write('{}\n'.format(pathName))
f.write('Size in Bytes: {}\n\n'.format(os.path.getsize(pathName)))

into

f.write('UID: {0}\n'.format(stat(searchFolder).st_uid))
f.write('{0}\n'.format(pathName))
f.write('Size in Bytes: {0}\n\n'.format(os.path.getsize(pathName)))

Look at this answer and into python documentation to learn about string formatting.

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 22 '13 at 12:47

2

'UID: {}\n'.format(stat(searchFolder).st_uid). If there is no {}, it just returns {}: \n.

This is string format. The {} represents a replacement fields. You may read the doc.

answered Jul 22 '13 at 12:47

zhangyangyu

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Thank you for your time & help zhangyangyu – BubbleMonster Jul 22 '13 at 12:51

Python - f.write 1 arguments, 2 given

2 Answers2