How do contextlib and try-finally compare in Python?

What are the main differences between using contextlib and try-finally in Python?

Contextlib provides a cleaner syntax for resource management, while try-finally is more explicit but can be verbose.

Can you give me an example of both in action?

Sure! Using try-finally:

file = open('example.txt')
try:
    # do something with the file
finally:
    file.close()

Using contextlib:

from contextlib import closing
with closing(open('example.txt')) as file:
    # do something with the file

Which one is generally preferred in modern Python code?

The with statement using contextlib is generally preferred for its readability and automatic resource management.

Are there any performance differences between the two?

In most cases, the performance difference is negligible, but contextlib can be slightly more efficient due to less boilerplate.