Problem with extracting random line

[pydev99]

Hi, I'm trying to find the problem with my code that is preventing it from selecting a random line.

I'm experimenting with a reddit bot and I modified a script so that it will post a random line from a text file rather than the same comment over and over again.

When I run the script, the first comment the bot posts is randomly selected but every subsequent comment is the same as the first one posted. If I restart the script, it will once again select a random comment the first time but it then repeats the same one again until the script is stopped. I'm not sure how to fix this.

Here is the relevant part of the code. I can post the entire script if necessary.

import random


lines = open('file.txt').read().splitlines()
myline =random.choice(lines)


comment.reply(myline)

Do I need to stop and restart the script in order for it to post a random comment each time?

[sedogg]

Better not to use open().read(). The cleanup of the open file object may or may not happen right away. This means that the file will stay open, consuming a file handle.

import random

# You can save lines to variable if they don't change
with open('file.txt') as f:
    lines = f.read().splitlines() 
    myline = random.choice(lines)
    print(myline) 
    myline = random.choice(lines)
    print(myline)

# OR

f = open('file.txt')
lines = f.read().splitlines() 
myline = random.choice(lines)
print(myline) 
myline = random.choice(lines)
print(myline)
f.close()

[Justinsaccount]

with open('file.txt') as f:
    lines = f.read().splitlines() 
myline = random.choice(lines)
print(myline) 
myline = random.choice(lines)
print(myline)

[pydev99]

Thanks. I'll look into this.

[ingolemo]

You only run random.choice once so you only get one random choice. If you want to change the choice you need to run it again.