# File writing

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-writing/141421>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [June 25, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-writing/141421 "2008-06-25T17:50:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jturney)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-writing/141421/1 "2008-06-25T17:50:57Z")

</div>

Hi, I know you can write to a file using ‘w’, but this erases all the  
previous data. How can I add new items to an existing document without  
losing the data?

Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jturney)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-writing/141421/2 "2008-06-25T18:04:34Z")

</div>

Justin To wrote:

> Hi, I know you can write to a file using ‘w’, but this erases all the  
> previous data. How can I add new items to an existing document without  
> losing the data?
> 
> Thanks!

Use “a” instead of “w”. That will Append new data to the end of the  
file.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jturney)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-writing/141421/3 "2008-06-25T18:12:54Z")

</div>

On Wed, Jun 25, 2008 at 11:48 AM, Justin To [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Hi, I know you can write to a file using ‘w’, but this erases all the  
> previous data. How can I add new items to an existing document without  
> losing the data?

filename = File.open(“test”,“a”) do |f|  
f.puts “append to file”;  
f.close();  
end

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jturney)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-writing/141421/4 "2008-06-25T18:52:14Z")

</div>

Hi again, how do I delete an item?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jturney)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-writing/141421/5 "2008-06-25T18:14:26Z")

</div>

Thank you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jturney)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/file-writing/141421/6 "2008-06-25T19:07:40Z")

</div>

Justin To wrote:

> Hi again, how do I delete an item?

…delete an item and take the now empty line away