Learn Python 3 | Reading a Line

[jack_1011]

with open('millay_sonnet.txt') as sonnet_doc:
  first_line = sonnet_doc.readline()
  second_line = sonnet_doc.readline()
  print(second_line)

The text above is used as an example to explain how to print a file one line at a time. I’m curious, it seems like first_line and second_line would be equal to the same thing, why don’t they? Https://www.codecademy.com/courses/learn-python-3/lessons/learn-python-files/exercises/reading-a-line

[mtf]

@jack_1011

why don’t they?

Because of the serial nature of reading in data as chunks (physical delimited lines) once a chunk is read in, the pointer moves to the next line, as if the first line was consumed.