How to Extract and Write Well-Formatted Text Chunks from a Text File Using Python

Discover how to efficiently extract `contact information` from a text file and write each individual's data to separate files using Python.
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Extracting and Writing Well-Formatted Text Chunks from a Text File Using Python

Have you ever found yourself needing to extract specific information from a text file, like a list of contacts, and save each person's information to a separate file? This common issue can arise in numerous situations, such as managing contact databases, organizing data, or simply archiving information for ease of access. In this guide, we'll tackle this problem using Python's powerful file handling and string manipulation capabilities, specifically utilizing regular patterns in our data.

The Problem

Let's consider the example of a text file containing contact information for multiple individuals. Here’s what the input might look like:

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

The Solution

Step-by-Step Approach

In this section, we will explore two different methods to achieve our goal. The choice of method depends on the size of the file you're working with.

Method 1: For Smaller Files

If your text file easily fits into memory, you can split the content based on double newlines. Here’s how to do it:

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

Explanation:

The file is opened and read entirely.

We use the split('\n\n') method to divide the content into chunks, treating double newlines as separators for different records.

We loop through these chunks using enumerate, which helps keep track of the current chunk number.

For each chunk, we create a new file named chunk_{n}.txt and write the chunk's content to it.

Output Files:

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

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

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

Method 2: For Larger Files

If your text file is too large to fit into memory comfortably, a more efficient approach is needed. Instead of reading the whole file at once, read it line by line.

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

Explanation:

We open the file and initialize a counter n to keep track of file numbers.

We create an initial output file chunk_{n}.txt.

If we encounter a blank line, we close the current file and open a new file for the next person’s information.

Output:
This method will yield the same output files as before:

Conclusion

With the Python code snippets provided, you can efficiently extract regularly formatted chunks of text from a .txt file and write them into multiple separate files. Whether you have a small or large file, these techniques ensure that you can handle the data extraction process smoothly. This can greatly aid in organizing information for easy access and management.

Now you have the tools at your disposal to manage text file data effectively, so get started on your project today!