main simplified using the read_files method: by separating logic and tigher exception handling

Author: Mikiyas-STP

implement-shell-tools/cat/cat.py

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import argparse
 import sys
 
+
 def read_files(paths):
     lines = []
     for path in paths:
@@ -11,61 +12,41 @@ def read_files(paths):
             print(f"Error reading {path}: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
             sys.exit(1)
     return lines
- 
+
+
 def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         prog="display-content-of-a-file",
-        description="cat is used to display the content of a file or print the content of a file."
+        description="cat is used to display the content of a file or print the content of a file.",
     )
-    parser.add_argument('-n', action='store_true', help='number output lines')
-    parser.add_argument('-b', action='store_true', help='number non-empty output lines')
-    parser.add_argument('paths', nargs='+', help="The file path(s) to process")
+
+    parser.add_argument("-n", action="store_true", help="number output lines")
+    parser.add_argument("-b", action="store_true", help="number non-empty output lines")
+    parser.add_argument("paths", nargs="+", help="The file path(s) to process")
 
     options = parser.parse_args()
 
-    combined_data = ""
-    for path in options.paths:
-        try:
-            with open(path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
-                combined_data += f.read() + "\n"
-        except Exception as e:
-            print(f"Error reading {path}: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
-            sys.exit(1)
+    lines = read_files(options.paths)
 
-    # If user used -b
     if options.b:
         line_num = 1
-        numbered_lines = []
-        for line in combined_data.split('\n'):
-            if line.strip() == '':
-                numbered_lines.append(line)  # Keep empty lines unnumbered
-            else:
-                numbered_lines.append(f"{line_num:6} {line}")
+        for line in lines:
+            if line.strip():
+                print(f"{line_num:6} {line}")
                 line_num += 1
-        sys.stdout.write('\n'.join(numbered_lines) + '\n')
+            else:
+                print(line)
 
-    # If user used -n
     elif options.n:
-        numbered_lines = [
-            f"{i+1:6} {line}"
-            for i, line in enumerate(combined_data.split('\n'))
-        ]
-        sys.stdout.write('\n'.join(numbered_lines) + '\n')
+        for i, line in enumerate(lines, start=1):
+            print(f"{i:6} {line}")
 
-    # If user didn't use -n or -b
     else:
-        sys.stdout.write(combined_data)
+        for line in lines:
+            print(line)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
 
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
 #python3 cat.py -b sample-files/*