I have a code that needs to run on all platforms and generate text
output files that can be read on other platforms. I'm a bit confused
about how Python handles the age-old end of line character/s problem.
I'm familiar with '\n' and '\r\n' dependence of Unix and Windows
respectively. Also I'm familiar that the Python manual recommends that
you use '\n' as the line terminator when writing a file for a file
that is to read on that same platform and not to use '\r\n' explicitly
on Windows. Also os.linesep gives the line terminator for your current
OS even thought the manual says not to use the value when writing
files. So the question is what does python do on windows when writing
a text file ... does it recognise that '\n' needs to be converted to
'\r\n' and substitute it as its writing. Does this mean that if I have
an option in my code that sets EOL to '\r\n' (I intend to ask the user
what platform he's needs to generate the file for) when I need to
write to a windows file that when on a UNIX machine '\r\n' will be
output in the file but when I'm on a Windows machine '\r\r\n' will be
output? If so then I need to find what os.linesep and check what its
value is before I set what value I give to EOL.
Or is this the case where I need to set 'b' option when opening the
new file ... which, ughh, requires me to explicitly convert all
numbers to strings before I write them.
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Prof Garry Willgoose,
email: [email protected]; [email protected]
email-for-life: [email protected]
personal webpage: www.telluricresearch.com/garry
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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail"
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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