Welcome to this episode where we're moving beyond temporary data storage to Period 19: File Handling! Today, we're focusing on how to read data from text files. Our main goal is to help you open, read, and close text files in various ways. 📖

The Importance of Persistent Data

We'll start by discussing why file handling is so important: it allows for persistent data storage. Unlike variables and arrays that lose their data when a program ends, files on a disk can store information permanently. We'll explain the different modes for opening a file, specifically the "read" mode ("r") which is crucial for our work today.

Reading Techniques & Practice

We'll review three key techniques for reading from a text file:

1. Reading the entire file into a single variable.
2. Reading each line of the file into a separate element in an array.
3. Reading data into parallel arrays, which is great for handling structured data.

You'll get hands-on experience by typing up and testing the provided examples for each of these techniques. Then, you'll work on a practical application: Task 7, Problem 2 from "Software Design and Development Booklet v1.4.pdf". This task involves reading data from a file named Pupil Details.txt, which will give you a chance to apply what you've learned.

For those who need a bit of extra help, we'll provide pre-made text files so you can focus on the coding. We'll also provide guidance on useful functions like .split(",") for separating data and how to handle data type conversion. Your understanding will be assessed through observation of your practical coding and a review of your output for reading text files.