python read line from file or user input code example

Example 1: python reading into a text file and diplaying items in a user friendly manner

def extract_data(filename):
    infile = open(filename, 'r')
    infile.readline()  # skip the first line
    data = [line.split() for line in infile]
    annual_avg = data[-1][1]
    data = [(m, float(r)) for m, r in data[:-1]]
    infile.close()
    return data, annual_avg

Example 2: python reading into a text file and diplaying items in a user friendly manner

def extract_data(filename):
    infile = open(filename, 'r')
    infile.readline() # skip the first line
    months = []
    rainfall = []
    for line in infile:
        words = line.split()
        # words[0]: month, words[1]: rainfall
        months.append(words[0])
        rainfall.append(float(words[1]))
    infile.close()
    months = months[:-1]      # Drop the "Year" entry
    annual_avg = rainfall[-1] # Store the annual average
    rainfall = rainfall[:-1]  # Redefine to contain monthly data
    return months, rainfall, annual_avg

months, values, avg = extract_data('rainfall.dat')
print 'The average rainfall for the months:'
for month, value in zip(months, values):
    print month, value
print 'The average rainfall for the year:', avg