Question

In what mode do you open a file if you want to write data to it, but you do not want to erase the file’s existing contents? When you write data to such a file, to what part of the file is the data written?

Short answer

Answer: The append mode ('a') allows us to write data to a file without erasing its existing contents. In this mode, the data is always written at the end of the file, after any existing data.

Step-by-step solution

File opening modes in Python

In Python, there are several modes in which a file can be opened, including read mode ('r'), write mode ('w'), append mode ('a'), and read-write modes ('r+', 'w+', 'a+'). Each mode has its specific use based on the desired action on the file.

Appropriate mode for writing data without erasing the file's existing data

The append mode ('a') allows us to write data to a file without erasing its existing contents. In this mode, if the file does not exist, it is created.

Where the data is written in append mode

When writing data to a file opened in append mode, the data is always written at the end of the file, after any existing data.