Python - Binary Files

Until now, we have worked with text files. Python also supports working with binary files.

Binary files are used to store non-text data such as:

• Images
• Audio files
• Video files
• PDF documents
• Executable files

While working with binary files, the file should be opened in binary mode by using rb, wb, ab, etc.

Mode	Description
rb	Read binary file.
wb	Write binary file.
ab	Append binary data.
r+b	Read and write binary file.
w+b	Write and read binary file.
a+b	Append and read binary file.

The following program copies the contents of one image file into another image file.

New Image is available with the name: newphoto.jpg

1. f1 = open("photo.jpg", "rb") opens the source image in read binary mode.
2. data = f1.read() reads the complete binary contents of the image into data.
3. f2 = open("newphoto.jpg", "wb") creates a new binary file in write mode.
4. f2.write(data) writes all binary data into the new image file.
5. f1.close() and f2.close() close both files after the copy operation.

Text modes can interpret newline characters and encoding. Binary modes do not perform any such conversion.

Because rb and wb work with the raw bytes, the copied image is exactly the same as the original.

To add binary data to the end of an existing binary file, open it in ab mode.

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