What does a mode string of 'r' indicate when opening a file in Python?

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Question: What does a mode string of 'r' indicate when opening a file in Python?
Answer options: ["The file will be opened for random access.", "The file will be opened for read access.", "The file will be opened for write access.", "The file will be opened in append mode."]

Option 1: The file will be opened for random access. In Python's built-in open function, mode strings like 'r', 'w', 'a' specify the basic intent (read, write, append) and do not imply random access behavior. Random access is not a semantics explicitly encoded by 'r', so this statement is incorrect.

Option 2: The file will be opened for read access. The single character 'r' is the standard mode for opening a file in read-only mode. It means the file is opened to be read from, with no writing allowed by default. This aligns with Python's typical usage for opening existing files for input.

Option 3: The file will be opened for write access. Write access is indicated by the mode 'w' (or possibly 'x' for exclusive creation, or 'w+' for read/write). The bare 'r' does not enable writing, so this option misstates the behavior and is incorrect.

Option 4: The file will be opened in append mode. Append mode is denoted by 'a' (or 'a+' for read/write in append). The mode 'r' does not append data; it simply opens the file for reading. This makes the statement inaccurate.

Summary: Each option describes a different file-opening intent. The 'r' mode corresponds to reading only, while the other options describe read/write/append or alternative access semantics that do not match 'r'.

ISOM 316 2 Coding for Business - Fall 2025 Final Exam Fall 2025

What does a mode string of 'r' indicate when opening a file in Python?

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