Accessing txt file while using module function

Question

I'm attempting to access a .txt file while accessing a module function I made. Problem is I don't think the function can access the text file. The file has data in it. It goes through the motions of trying to populate it. Do I need a init.py? I'm getting now output in my data.csv file that I'm attempting to output. But my data.txt file has data in it. So I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. When run the file on it's on not as a module it runs perfectly.

The call:

import csv_generator
#choose to print out in csv or json
    def printData():
        answer = input('Please choose 1 for csv or 2 for jsson output file: ')
        if(answer == '1'):
            csv_generator.csv_write()
        elif(answer == '2'):
            json_writer.json_write()
        else:
            printData()
    
    printData()

The definition:

        import csv
        def csv_write():
        #files to read from 
        data_read = open('data.txt', 'r')
    
        #process data and write to csv file
        with open('data.csv', 'w', newline='') as f:
            thewriter = csv.writer(f)
    
            thewriter.writerow(['Last', 'First', 'Email', 'Address', 'Phone'])
            for x in data_read:
                y = x.split(',')
                thewriter.writerow([y[0].strip(), y[1].strip(), y[2].strip(), y[3].strip(), y[4].strip()])

Are you getting errors, or unexpected output when you run this code? **show them**. Otherwise we can only guess what you're really asking. — John Gordon, Jan 04 '23 at 19:26
You're mentioning a module: is the csv_write function in another module than the printData function? In another folder? Please give all necessary details. — Swifty, Jan 04 '23 at 19:28
Does this answer your question? [How to make an "always relative to current module" file path?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/10174211/how-to-make-an-always-relative-to-current-module-file-path) — JonSG, Jan 04 '23 at 19:28
@JonSG unfortunately I get the same behavior with that solution. — John Verber, Jan 04 '23 at 20:37
This code will write `data.csv` in _the current directory_. When you check the file after running this script, are you sure you're checking in the correct directory? — John Gordon, Jan 04 '23 at 21:02
When you run this code, does the `data.csv` file get a fresh timestamp? — John Gordon, Jan 04 '23 at 21:49
@Swifty well the printData function is defined as you can see and the writer function is part of the csv module which is part of the python language. So yes they are in different folders so to speak. — John Verber, Jan 04 '23 at 21:50
@Swifty yes they are in the same folder. I didn't understand what you were trying to say. — John Verber, Jan 04 '23 at 23:02

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 08 '23 at 00:01

Your module opens the files data.txt and data.csv, without specifying a specific path/directory. That means it will try to open the files in the current working directory of the running script.

When you run the module as a script itself, that working directory may be another actual location than the working directory for the script that imports the module.

What the working directory is depends on how you run your script. From the command line, it's typically the working directory of the shell when you start the Python executable. From an IDE, it's typically something you can configure, but by default in most cases it will be the folder the script itself is in.

Either specify the full path of the file (assuming you're on Windows, similar for Linux):

open(r'D:\some\folder\data.csv', 'w', newline='')

Or make it relative to the script, if you need the file to be written in the same folder where the source file is:

from pathlib import Path

open(Path(__file__).parent / 'data.csv', 'w', newline='')

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 17 '23 at 02:17

I found the problem. It was simple. It has nothing to do with absolute paths. It was simply that I was originally writing to data.txt to use in my code in the example. But I didn't close it before trying to use it again. So when I tried to open it again, just wiped everything I had done (that was stuck in memory I assume) and then was accessing a blank document.

I have it set up now the same way with no absolute path and it works fine. I just had to close that file before using it again.

Accessing txt file while using module function

2 Answers2