Which of the following is a primary operation for handling files in Python?

Opening and reading files is a fundamental operation in Python that allows you to access and manipulate file data. In Python, this is commonly achieved using built-in functions such as open(), which opens a file for reading, writing, or other operations. After opening a file, you can use methods like .read() to retrieve the contents of the file or .readline() to read it line by line.

Handling files is essential for tasks such as data processing, logging, and configurations, making it a primary operation within the language. It provides a straightforward way to interact with the file system, enabling developers to work with various file formats and sizes effectively.

The other choices, while related to file operations, represent more specialized use cases or broader concepts that do not capture the primary operation of handling files directly. For instance, encrypting and decrypting files involves additional security measures beyond basic file handling, compiling and running files relates more to executing code rather than file management, and storing files in a database pertains to data management strategies rather than the basic act of file manipulation in Python.