How to remove a blank line in text file after deleting a specific line?

Question

my code works absolutely fine, the only issue I'm having is that after the text is deleted, there is a blank line where the text used to be. So when I view the text file, there is a massive empty gap between two players lines. An example of this would be:

John | 35

Thomas | 56

(Blank Line)

Timmy | 34

this is my code:

# This ELIF statement will allow the user to write the name and score of the player.
        if choice == "A" or choice == "a":
            save_name = input('Enter your name: ').title()
            save_score = input('Enter your score: ')
            text_file = open("highscores.txt", "a")
            text_file.write("\n" + save_name + ' | ' + save_score + "\n")
            text_file.close()
            text_file = open("highscores.txt", "r")
            whole_thing = text_file.read()
            print (whole_thing)
            text_file.close()
            
# This ELIF statement will allow the user to delete a player from the text file.
        elif choice == "B" or choice == "b":
            print("These are the current players and their score")
            text_file = open("highscores.txt", "r")
            whole_thing = text_file.read()
            print(whole_thing)
            text_file.close()
            time.sleep(0.3)
            save_delete = input("Please enter the name of the player you wish to delete: ") + " | "
            with open("highscores.txt", "r") as f:
                lines = f.readlines()
            with open("highscores.txt", "w") as f:
                for line in lines:
                    if not(line.startswith(save_delete)):
                        f.write(line)

Answer 1

I think you need to use "|" with space " |". Otherwise there won't be a catch in your data, see example as following:

save_delete = input("Please enter the name of the player you wish to delete: ") + "|"

if save_delete in "hello |":
    print("Yes")

print(lines)

print(save_delete)

output:

Please enter the name of the player you wish to delete: hello ['hello |\n', 'world |\n', 'no to war |\n', 'peace at home |\n', 'peace in the world |'] hello| #<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

when save_delete is changed as following

save_delete = input("Please enter the name of the player you wish to delete: ") + " |" # " |" has space.

we have a match, see following:

    Please enter the name of the player you wish to delete: hello
Yes <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
['hello |\n', 'world |\n', 'no to war |\n', 'peace at home |\n', 'peace in the world |']
hello | <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Now, I am able to remove "Hello" from my text.

My text previously:

hello | world | no to war |peace at home | peace in the world |

My text after the program run:

world | no to war |peace at home | peace in the world |

see the code I used:

with open("text_text.txt", "w") as f:
    for line in lines:
        print(type(line))
        print(line)
        if save_delete not in line:
            print("Yes")
            f.write(line)

Last Edit:

Before it runs:

After it runs:

I have deleted the world and no empty line appeared.