In Python, you might frequently encounter scenarios where you have to deal with text files. One such scenario is when you are required to overwrite a text file. It’s a common task that many developers usually encounter.

This tutorial will guide you on how to overwrite a text file in Python step by step.

Step 1: Open the File in Write mode

The first step includes opening a text file that you want to overwrite in write mode. Here is how you open a file in write mode in Python:

In the above code, “sample.txt” is the name of your file, and “w” represents the write mode. It is important to remember that opening a file in write mode will automatically delete all content of the file if it exists. If the file doesn’t exist, a new one will be created.

Step 2: Write to the File

Now, you can write new content to the file using the write() function. This function takes a string as the parameter, which is written to the file. See the example below:

Step 3: Close the File

After writing to the file, you need to close it using the close() method:

It’s always a good practice to close the file after performing operations on it. It will free up the resources that were tied to the file and is done using the Python close() method.

Here is the complete Python script:

Your sample text file “sample.txt” should now look like this:

Writing new content to the file

Conclusion

Overwriting a text file in Python is a simple task that just requires opening the file in write mode, adding the new content, and finally closing the file. Understanding these operations will help you efficiently handle text files in Python.

Moreover, the “w” mode can be highly useful when you need to create a new file programmatically. Remember, the opening of a file in “w” mode will clear the content if the file already exists.