cleaning data with Python (for statement)

Edit: Sorry for the confusion everyone. The first version of this question is so confusing I that have decided to delete it.

Here is my question again.

How do I translate a list of 10,000 student names开发者_高级运维 (text file) to a list that can be iterated through?

I initially said dictionary, but I actually meant list, I apologize.

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Assuming that each student's name is on its own line, which is what it sounds like, this is as easy as

students = open('list-of-students.txt').readlines()

which will make students be a list of all the students in the file.

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It depends strongly on what you want to do.

But something like this should work:

with file("filename-with-students.txt") as f:
   for line in f:
       ## now, the name "line" refers to a string containing a line in your file

The first line, with file(...) as f, opens the file and assigns the "file descriptor" the name f. Using a with statement means that it will automatically be closed when you're done.

The second line, for line in f, takes advantage that you can iterate over files, one line at a time. Hence, you can do whatever you want the string that line refers to.