Comparing ways of opening files in Python

There are two ways of opening files for high-level I/O in Python.

Method 1: supports both string and Path objects.

# This is analogous to `io.open` in Python 3.
with open(filepath) as f:
    ...

Method 2: supports only Path objects.

from pathlib import Path
...

# filepath must be a Path object.
with filepath.open() as f:
    ...

Note: We are not considering os.open here as it is only intended for low-level I/Os.

When is method 2 ever preferred over method 1 when the latter is more modular?
Are there any technical differences?

Solution

Method 2 is preferred when you are working with file paths represented as Path objects, because it is more concise and easier to read. There are no technical differences between the two methods, as open is simply a function that takes a file path and returns a file object, and Path.open is a method of the Path object that does the same thing.

If you are working with file paths represented as strings, then you should use method 1, as it is more flexible and can handle both string and Path objects. However, if you are working with Path objects exclusively, then you can use method 2 for simplicity and clarity.