Using the [mmap](<https://docs.python.org/2/library/mmap.html>) module allows the user to randomly access locations in a file by mapping the file into memory. This is an alternative to using normal file operations.

import mmap

with open('filename.ext', 'r') as fd:
    # 0: map the whole file
    mm = mmap.mmap(fd.fileno(), 0)

    # print characters at indices 5 through 10
    print mm[5:10]

    # print the line starting from mm's current position
    print mm.readline()

    # write a character to the 5th index
    mm[5] = 'a'

    # return mm's position to the beginning of the file
    mm.seek(0)

    # close the mmap object
    mm.close()