Python: Context manager with multiple objects?

Question

Is it possible to use the with context manager syntax with more than one object in Python?

For example, something like:

with open("file1.txt") as file1, open("file2.txt") as file2:
    file1.write("this is file 1")
    file2.write("this is file 2")

A duckduckgo and internal search of this site indicates the answer is probably "no". Given that the likely answer is "no", what is the next best option? (Of course, if the answer is "yes", please let me know how.)

Perhaps a set of nexted context managers, such as the following, would be a good solution?

with open("file1.txt") as file1:
    with open("file2.txt") as file2:
        file1.write("this is file 1")
        file2.write("this is file 2")

Is there any reason why one would not want to do this? Is the order likely to matter?

Have you tried your first code sample? That **is** the way to do it — Yevhen Kuzmovych, Jul 27 '21 at 14:34
When `with` statements were added in Python 2.5, they were limited to a single context expression. Support for multiple context expressions was added in Python 3.1. — chepner, Jul 27 '21 at 14:37
https://docs.python.org/3/reference/compound_stmts.html#the-with-statement — chepner, Jul 27 '21 at 14:39

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 27 '21 at 14:37

1

This

with open("file1.txt") as file1, open("file2.txt") as file2:
    file1.write("this is file 1")
    file2.write("this is file 2")

is compliant with with statement definition given by docs

with_stmt ::=  "with" with_item ("," with_item)* ":" suite
with_item ::=  expression ["as" target]

where * denotes 0 or more repetitions

answered Jul 27 '21 at 14:37

Daweo

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Nice to know my guess was correct, wasn't able to find an example of this – FreelanceConsultant Jul 27 '21 at 14:41

Python: Context manager with multiple objects?

1 Answers1