diff --git a/pysrc/chipmodel.py b/pysrc/chipmodel.py
index a2160d0..259734a 100755
--- a/pysrc/chipmodel.py
+++ b/pysrc/chipmodel.py
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ def _feature_index(all_features, f):
 
 
 def read_database(filename):
-    lines = file(filename).readlines()
+    lines = open(filename,'r').readlines()
     lines = filter_comments(lines)
     lines = genutil.process_continuations(lines)
     # returns a list and a dictionary
diff --git a/pysrc/ctables.py b/pysrc/ctables.py
index c02c0ea..2b5a85e 100755
--- a/pysrc/ctables.py
+++ b/pysrc/ctables.py
@@ -196,6 +196,6 @@ def work(lines,   xeddir = '.',   gendir = 'obj'):
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
    import sys
-   lines = file(sys.argv[1]).readlines()
+   lines = open(sys.argv[1],'r').readlines()
    srcs = work(lines,xeddir='.',gendir='obj')
    print("WROTE: ", "\n\t".join(srcs))
diff --git a/pysrc/generator.py b/pysrc/generator.py
index a40db0f..f6d3b22 100755
--- a/pysrc/generator.py
+++ b/pysrc/generator.py
@@ -5696,7 +5696,7 @@ def emit_operand_storage(agi):
 
 def call_ctables(agi):
     """Conversion tables for operands"""
-    lines = file(agi.common.options.ctables_input_fn).readlines()
+    lines = open(agi.common.options.ctables_input_fn,'r').readlines()
     srcs = ctables.work(lines,
                         xeddir=agi.common.options.xeddir,
                         gendir=agi.common.options.gendir)
diff --git a/pysrc/genutil.py b/pysrc/genutil.py
index d95fd81..4f03c40 100755
--- a/pysrc/genutil.py
+++ b/pysrc/genutil.py
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ def get_memory_usage():
     """Return a tuple of (vmsize, vmrss, vmdata) on linux systems with
     /proc filesystems."""
     try:
-        lines = file('/proc/%s/status' % os.getpid()).readlines()
+        lines = open('/proc/%s/status' % os.getpid(),'r').readlines()
         pairs = [ x.split(':') for x in lines]
         dct = dict(pairs)
         return (dct['VmSize'].strip(), dct['VmRSS'].strip(),  dct['VmData'].strip())
diff --git a/pysrc/read_xed_db.py b/pysrc/read_xed_db.py
index c1e570c..0678cde 100755
--- a/pysrc/read_xed_db.py
+++ b/pysrc/read_xed_db.py
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class xed_reader_t(object):
        return widths_list
         
     def _gen_widths(self, fn):
-        lines = file(fn).readlines()
+        lines = open(fn,'r').readlines()
         widths_list = self._refine_widths_input(lines)
 
         # sets the default data type for each width
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ class xed_reader_t(object):
         return widths_dict
 
     def _gen_xtypes(self, fn):
-        lines = file(fn).readlines()
+        lines = open(fn,'r').readlines()
         xtypes_dict = opnd_types.read_operand_types(lines)
         return set(xtypes_dict.keys())
             
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ class xed_reader_t(object):
 
 
     def _parse_state_bits(self,f):
-        lines = file(f).readlines()
+        lines = open(f,'r').readlines()
         d = []
         state_input_pattern = re.compile(r'(?P<key>[^\s]+)\s+(?P<value>.*)')
         while len(lines) > 0: