Python - When to use file vs open

Question

What\'s the difference between file and open in Python? When should I use which one? (Say I\'m in 2.5)

Answer 1

Functionally, the two are the same; open will call file anyway, so currently the difference is a matter of style. The Python docs recommend using open.

When opening a file, it's preferable to use open() instead of invoking the file constructor directly.

The reason is that in future versions they is not guaranteed to be the same (open will become a factory function, which returns objects of different types depending on the path it's opening).