10 Practical Python Scripts for Text File Automation

Python’s powerful text‑processing capabilities make routine file operations easy. Below are ten practical scripts, each accompanied by a brief explanation and ready‑to‑run code.

1. Read a text file

# 读取文本文件
def read_file(file_path):
    with open(file_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
        content = file.read()
    return content

file_content = read_file('example.txt')
print(file_content)

This script opens example.txt in UTF‑8 mode, reads its entire content, and prints it.

2. Compare two text files

# 对比两个文本文件是否相同
def compare_files(file1, file2):
    with open(file1, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f1, open(file2, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f2:
        return f1.read() == f2.read()

are_equal = compare_files('file1.txt', 'file2.txt')
print(f"两个文件是否相同: {are_equal}")

The script returns True if the two files have identical content, which is useful for version checks.

3. Filter out lines containing a keyword

# 过滤掉包含特定单词的行
def filter_lines(file_path, keyword):
    with open(file_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
        lines = [line for line in file if keyword not in line]
    return lines

filtered_lines = filter_lines('example.txt', '不需要的内容')
print("过滤后的内容：")
for line in filtered_lines:
    print(line.strip())

Useful for removing irrelevant log entries or unwanted text.

4. Merge multiple text files

# 合并多个文本文件
def merge_files(output_file, *input_files):
    with open(output_file, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as outfile:
        for file_name in input_files:
            with open(file_name, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as infile:
                outfile.write(infile.read() + "\n")

merge_files('merged.txt', 'file1.txt', 'file2.txt', 'file3.txt')
print("文件合并成功！")

Combines several reports or logs into a single document.

5. Convert file encoding

# 转换文本文件编码
def convert_encoding(input_file, output_file, target_encoding='utf-8'):
    with open(input_file, 'r', encoding='gbk') as infile:
        content = infile.read()
    with open(output_file, 'w', encoding=target_encoding) as outfile:
        outfile.write(content)

convert_encoding('old_file.txt', 'new_file.txt', 'utf-8')
print("文件编码转换成功！")

Helps resolve encoding issues when opening files created in different locales.

6. Extract lines with a specific prefix

# 提取以特定标记开头的行
def extract_data(file_path, prefix):
    with open(file_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
        extracted = [line for line in file if line.startswith(prefix)]
    return extracted

data_lines = extract_data('example.txt', '重要信息:')
print("提取的数据：")
for line in data_lines:
    print(line.strip())

Ideal for pulling configuration entries or marked sections from a file.

7. Count word frequencies

from collections import Counter

# 统计文件中的词频
def count_words(file_path):
    with open(file_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
        words = file.read().split()
    return Counter(words)

word_count = count_words('example.txt')
print("词频统计：")
for word, count in word_count.items():
    print(f"{word}: {count}")

Provides insight into the most common terms, useful for writing or text analysis.

8. Generate a simple text report

# 生成简单的文本报告
def generate_report(data, report_file):
    with open(report_file, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as file:
        file.write("文本分析报告\n")
        file.write("=====================\n")
        for item in data.items():
            file.write(f"{item[0]}: {item[1]}\n")

report_data = {'项目A': 10, '项目B': 15}
generate_report(report_data, 'report.txt')
print("报告生成成功！")

Creates a formatted summary that can be shared in meetings or documentation.

9. Replace specific text

# 替换文本文件中的指定内容
def replace_text(file_path, old_string, new_string):
    with open(file_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
        content = file.read()
    new_content = content.replace(old_string, new_string)
    with open(file_path, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as file:
        file.write(new_content)

replace_text('example.txt', '旧内容', '新内容')
print("文本内容替换成功！")

Convenient for bulk updates, such as correcting terminology across a document.

10. Extract lines by line numbers

# 按指定行号提取内容
def extract_lines_by_numbers(file_path, line_numbers):
    with open(file_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
        lines = file.readlines()
    extracted_lines = [lines[i - 1].strip() for i in line_numbers if 0 < i <= len(lines)]
    return extracted_lines

line_indices = [1, 3, 5]  # 提取第1、3、5行
extracted_content = extract_lines_by_numbers('example.txt', line_indices)

print("提取的行内容：")
for line in extracted_content:
    print(line)

This utility quickly pulls out specific sections, handy for reviewing particular pages of a report.

Together, these examples showcase Python’s versatility in automating everyday text‑file tasks, encouraging readers to experiment and extend the scripts for their own workflows.