Basic file processing - SS2 ICT Lesson Note

Basic file processing involves reading, writing, and manipulating data stored in files. This process is fundamental in various programming and computing tasks. When it comes to file security, it's important to consider the potential risks of unauthorized access, data breaches, and other forms of cyber threats. 

Here are some key aspects of basic file processing:

1. Opening Files: The first step in file processing is opening a file for reading or writing. This involves specifying the file's path and its access mode (read, write, append, etc.). In most programming languages, you use functions or methods to open files. For example, in Python, you can use open().
2. Reading from Files: After opening a file for reading, you can read its contents. Common methods include reading the entire file, reading line by line, or reading a specified number of bytes or characters. Reading from files allows you to access the data stored within them.
3. Writing to Files: When a file is opened for writing, you can write data to it. This could be text, numbers, or any other type of data that needs to be stored persistently. You can write data as a whole or incrementally, depending on your requirements.
4. Appending to Files: Opening a file in append mode allows you to add data to the end of an existing file without overwriting its contents. This is useful for adding new information to an existing data set.
5. Closing Files: After reading from or writing to a file, it's important to close the file. Closing a file releases system resources and ensures that changes are saved. Not closing a file properly can lead to data corruption or resource leaks.
6. Error Handling: File processing can encounter various errors, such as file not found, permission denied, or disk full. Proper error handling is essential to gracefully handle these situations and provide feedback to the user or the program.
7. File Navigation: Basic file processing may involve moving the file pointer to specific positions within the file. You can seek to a particular position or rewind to the beginning of the file.
8. Checking File Existence: Before attempting to open or manipulate a file, it's a good practice to check if the file exists at the specified path to avoid errors.
9. File Metadata: Some file processing tasks may require accessing metadata about the file, such as its size, creation date, modification date, or permissions.
10. File Deletion: Depending on the application, you may need to delete files programmatically. Be cautious when using this operation, as it permanently removes the file.