[Tutor] File mode tests

[Bill Campbell]

On Fri, Jul 30, 2004, Steve wrote:
>Hi Bill,
>
>On Thu, 29 Jul 2004 17:18:15 -0700, Bill Campbell <bill at celestial.net> wrote:
>> I'm just getting my feet wet with python after programming primarily in
>> perl since perl-3.something.
>
>Welcome to the other side :)
>
>>  I've read the Harms and McDonald ``The Quick
>> Python Book'', and O'Reilly's ``Learning Python'', but haven't been able to
>> find python equivalents to these perl tests (lots of others in os.path, but
>> not these :-).
>> 
>>         if ( -x path ) # is is executable
>>         if ( -r path ) # is it readable
>>         if ( -w path ) # is it writeable
>
>The function os.access() povides these, have a look here:
>
>http://python.org/doc/current/lib/os-file-dir.html

Thanks for the reference.

>> I would love to find documentation, something like ``python for the perl
>> hacker'' that would help in the transition.
>
>So would a lot many hackers who see the light :) ....here you go (urls
>may wrap):
>
>http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2002/06/27/pythonandperl.html
>http://www.minihttpserver.net/showasin/Cat_cbook_En_perl_to_python_migration-0201734885.htm
>
>HTH
>Steve
>
>PS: forgive the cheeky-ness ....couldn't help myself :o)

Not a problem.  I've been known to make a few similar comments myself.

One of my major issues with python isn't the language per se, but the fact
that I'm very dependent on vim/vi's ability to match braces using the ``%''
key which makes navigating source code very easy (don't say use emacs -- as
many times as I've tried it, my fingers have 22 years of vi habits :-).  My
solution for this with shell programming has been to use comments #{ and #}
around control flow blocks which works with python as well, but probably
would drive a python purist nuts.

Bill
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