I did all I did in the name of clarity, considering the OP was on his first day with python. How I would actually write it would be:
inputfile = file('input','r') inputfile.readline() data = [map(float, line.split()) for line in inputfile]
Notice how you don't have to call iter() on it, you can treat it as an iterable to begin with.
Beware of mixing iterator methods and readline:
http://docs.python.org/lib/bltin-file-objects.html
next( )
...In order to make a for loop the most efficient way of looping over the lines of a file (a very common operation), the next() method uses a hidden read-ahead buffer. As a consequence of using a read-ahead buffer, combining next() with other file methods (like readline()) does not work right.
I haven't tested your code in particular, but this warning was enough to make me generally avoid mixing iter methods and other methods.
Steve -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
