Python write line by line to a text file

Question

I am trying to output the result from a Python script to a text file where each output should be saved to a line.

f1=open('./output.txt', 'a')
f1.write(content + "\n")

When I open output.txt with the regular notepad the results look like this:

color amber color aqua color analysis color app color adobe color alive app

However, when I open the file with notepad++ it looks fine and each word is saved on a line.

How can make the script save the result line-by-line so it would show the same on the regular notepad?

see http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~krueger/csc209h/tut/line-endings.html you should use '\r\n' on Windows — Paweł Kordowski, Feb 28 '16 at 17:06
Can you display the ending characters inside Notepad++ so that we can see what is happening? (see [here](http://stackoverflow.com/a/1446382/1559401) on how to enable that feature) — rbaleksandar, Feb 28 '16 at 23:02
If the python documentation were written properly you would not need to ask this question. It's not your fault however, its the poor python documentation. — Andrew S, Nov 01 '16 at 04:07

score 22 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 28 '16 at 17:13

22

You may want to look into os dependent line separators, e.g.:

import os

with open('./output.txt', 'a') as f1:
    f1.write(content + os.linesep)

answered Feb 28 '16 at 17:13

AChampion

30

I voted this down because of the [official documentation](https://docs.python.org/2/library/os.html#os.linesep) on `os.linesep` – rbaleksandar Feb 28 '16 at 17:18
5

Good point, but then the OP shouldn't have an issue but they are, suggesting to write `'\r\n'` is what I was responding to - using `os.linesep` is more portable. – AChampion Feb 28 '16 at 18:02
3

The best solution! It's better than f1.write(content + "\n") – SergeyYu Nov 28 '18 at 09:25
1

Do we absolutely need to `import os`? – Samuel Nde Dec 14 '18 at 18:28
1

@NdeSamuelMbah if you want to use `os.linesep` - you do. – AChampion Dec 15 '18 at 02:53
2

Normally when using `f1.write(content + "\n")`, python automatically convert the `"\n"` to `os.linesep` (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/38074811/what-is-os-linesep-for). The problem should elsewhere... – Jean Paul May 27 '19 at 16:10

score 17 · Accepted Answer · edited Feb 28 '16 at 21:16

17

Well, the problem you have is wrong line ending/encoding for notepad. Notepad uses Windows' line endings - \r\n and you use \n.

edited Feb 28 '16 at 21:16

bastelflp

answered Feb 28 '16 at 17:08

Peter Badida

2 Answers2