diff --git a/getting_started/02_text_io.ipynb b/getting_started/02_text_io.ipynb
index c3b6aa2378cb6294aaded9b955e0ab5fc9fe5335..b6181731bbe95856547422cd6ed7b54f1ce36b70 100644
--- a/getting_started/02_text_io.ipynb
+++ b/getting_started/02_text_io.ipynb
@@ -599,7 +599,29 @@
     "<a class=\"anchor\" id=\"exercises\"></a>\n",
     "## Exercises\n",
     "### Joining/splitting strings\n",
-    "go from 2 column file to 2 rows\n",
+    "The file 02_text_io/input.txt contains integers in a 2-column format (separated by spaces). Read in this file and write it back out in 2-rows separated by comma's."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "input_filename = '02_text_io/input.txt'\n",
+    "out_filename = '02_text_io/output.txt'\n",
+    "\n",
+    "with open(input_filename, 'r') as input_file:\n",
+    "    ...\n",
+    "\n",
+    "with open(output_filename, 'w') as output_file:\n",
+    "    ..."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
     "### String formatting and regular expressions\n",
     "Given a template for MRI files:\n",
     "s<subject_id>/<modality>_<res>mm.nii.gz\n",
diff --git a/getting_started/02_text_io.md b/getting_started/02_text_io.md
index 9628a213a271c882faa431cf63e2977912d475bb..0c00651c3afd011823348b5cc5f7eadcb5344c04 100644
--- a/getting_started/02_text_io.md
+++ b/getting_started/02_text_io.md
@@ -275,7 +275,19 @@ A full discussion of regular expression goes far beyond this practical. If you a
 <a class="anchor" id="exercises"></a>
 ## Exercises
 ### Joining/splitting strings
-go from 2 column file to 2 rows
+The file 02_text_io/input.txt contains integers in a 2-column format (separated by spaces). Read in this file and write it back out in 2-rows separated by comma's.
+
+```
+input_filename = '02_text_io/input.txt'
+out_filename = '02_text_io/output.txt'
+
+with open(input_filename, 'r') as input_file:
+    ...
+
+with open(output_filename, 'w') as output_file:
+    ...
+```
+
 ### String formatting and regular expressions
 Given a template for MRI files:
 s<subject_id>/<modality>_<res>mm.nii.gz
diff --git a/getting_started/02_text_io/input.txt b/getting_started/02_text_io/input.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..f5fce0dafc3a5ac00aaecf1544e197a2f863eb1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/getting_started/02_text_io/input.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+1 3
+14 3
+4 7
+12 5
+15 5
+14 4
+15 19
+7 17
+7 15
+16 3
+15 14
+17 9
+7 8
+4 5
+15 4
+11 5
+17 10
+3 19
+14 4
+18 3