How to Combine Common Values from 2 TXT Files into 1 using Python without duplicates

This guide explains how to merge common values from two text files in Python while ensuring no duplicates are included.
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Merging Values from Two Text Files in Python

Combining information from two separate text files into one can be a common task in programming, especially when dealing with lists of data. In this guide, we’ll tackle a specific problem: how to combine values from two text files based on a certain tag—specifically, values labeled as [not done]—while also ensuring there are no duplicate entries in the final result.

The Problem at Hand

Only the filenames with the [not done] tag.

Common filenames from both files should appear only once.

Example Data

Here’s what the contents of the files might look like:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

In this scenario, common filenames are "P03T10C01" and "P03T19C04", and these should appear in the resulting file as per the requirements.

The Solution: A Python Script

Here’s a simple yet effective Python script to accomplish the merging of these files while fulfilling the specified conditions.

Steps to Implement the Solution

Read the Two Files: Load the contents of both text files.

Filter for Specific Tag: Extract lines that contain the tag [not done].

Remove Duplicates: Combine the lists and ensure that there are no duplicate entries.

Write the Results: Save the combined list into a new text file.

Python Code Implementation

Here’s the code that will achieve this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Understanding the Code

File Handling: The code begins by opening each text file and reading their contents.

List Comprehensions: It utilizes list comprehensions to build lists of entries that contain "[not done]".

Sets for Uniqueness: By converting the lists to sets, we automatically handle any duplicates since sets do not allow repeated values.

Final Result: The combined unique values are then written into a new file, thus completing the process.

Conclusion

Merging common values from two text files based on specific criteria using Python is a straightforward task. By leveraging file reading, list comprehensions, and set operations, you can efficiently create a new file that contains all necessary entries without duplication.

Now you can manage your text files confidently, ensuring your lists are accurate and up-to-date!