[Tutor] Newbie with question about readfiles()

[Sean 'Shaleh' Perry]

On 25-Apr-2002 stuart_clemons@us.ibm.com wrote:
> Hi all:
> 
> Just wondering how I would print only a given line in a text file.  For
> example, I would like to print the 8th line in this multi-line file, foo.
> txt.
> 
>       in_file = open ("foo.txt", "r")
>       for line in in_file.readlines():
>             print line        # I know this prints all lines
>             print ????        # How do I print line 8 only ???
> 
> 

you have to count lines.  There is no easy (and efficient) way.

wanted = 8
while wanted > 0:
    line = in_file.readline() # note readline(), this reads one line at a time
    wanted = wanted -1
print line