Python mmap: Doing File I/O With Memory Mapping

The Zen of Python has a lot of wisdom to offer. One especially useful idea is that “There should be one—and preferably only one—obvious way to do it.” Yet there are multiple ways to do most things in Python, and often for good reason. For example, there are multiple ways to read a file in Python, including the rarely used mmap module.

Python’s mmap provides memory-mapped file input and output (I/O). It allows you to take advantage of lower-level operating system functionality to read files as if they were one large string or array. This can provide significant performance improvements in code that requires a lot of file I/O.

In this video course, you’ll learn:

  • What kinds of computer memory exist
  • What problems you can solve with mmap
  • How use memory mapping to read large files faster
  • How to change a portion of a file without rewriting the entire file
  • How to use mmap to share information between multiple processes

What’s Included:

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About Christopher Trudeau

Christopher has a passion for the Python language and writes for Real Python. He is a consultant who helps advise organizations on how to improve their technical teams.

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