在讀取檔案時，它被讀作具有多個元素的字典。 因此，我們可以使用元素的索引存取檔案的每一行。在下面的範例中，有一個包含多行的檔案，這些行成為檔案的各個元素。
with open ("Path\GodFather.txt", "r") as BigFile:
data=BigFile.readlines()
# Print each line
for i in range(len(data)):
print "Line No- ",i
print data[i]
當執行上面範例程式碼後，得到類似以下的結果 -
Line No- 0
Vito Corleone is the aging don (head) of the Corleone Mafia Family.
Line No- 1
His youngest son Michael has returned from WWII just in time to see the wedding of Connie Corleone (Michael's sister) to Carlo Rizzi.
Line No- 2
All of Michael's family is involved with the Mafia, but Michael just wants to live a normal life. Drug dealer Virgil Sollozzo is looking for Mafia families to offer him protection in exchange for a profit of the drug money.
Line No- 3
He approaches Don Corleone about it, but, much against the advice of the Don's lawyer Tom Hagen, the Don is morally against the use of drugs, and turns down the offer.
Line No- 4
This does not please Sollozzo, who has the Don shot down by some of his hit men.
Line No- 5
The Don barely survives, which leads his son Michael to begin a violent mob war against Sollozzo and tears the Corleone family apart.
檔案作為字串
但是，通過刪除新行字元並使用read函式，可以將整個檔案內容讀取為單個字串，如下所示。結果中沒有分行。
當執行上面範例程式碼後，得到類似以下的結果 -
Vito Corleone is the aging don (head) of the Corleone Mafia Family. His youngest son Michael has returned from WWII just in time to see the wedding of Connie Corleone (Michael's sister) to Carlo Rizzi. All of Michael's family is involved with the Mafia, but Michael just wants to live a normal life. Drug dealer Virgil Sollozzo is looking for Mafia families to offer him protection in exchange for a profit of the drug money. He approaches Don Corleone about it, but, much against the advice of the Don's lawyer Tom Hagen, the Don is morally against the use of drugs, and turns down the offer.This does not please Sollozzo, who has the Don shot down by some of his hit men. The Don barely survives, which leads his son Michael to begin a violent mob war against Sollozzo and tears the Corleone family apart.