python - ValueError: invalid literal for int() with base 10: ''

Question

I am creating a program that reads a file and if the first line of the file is not blank, it reads the next four lines. Calculations are performed on those lines and then the next line is read. If that line is not empty it continues. However, I am getting this error:

ValueError: invalid literal for int() with base 10: ''.

It is reading the first line but can't convert it to an integer.

What can I do to fix this problem?

The code:

file_to_read = raw_input("Enter file name of tests (empty string to end program):")
try:
    infile = open(file_to_read, 'r')
    while file_to_read != " ":
        file_to_write = raw_input("Enter output file name (.csv will be appended to it):")
        file_to_write = file_to_write + ".csv"
        outfile = open(file_to_write, "w")
        readings = (infile.readline())
        print readings
        while readings != 0:
            global count
            readings = int(readings)
            minimum = (infile.readline())
            maximum = (infile.readline())

Answer 1

Just for the record:

>>> int('55063.000000')
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ValueError: invalid literal for int() with base 10: '55063.000000'

Got me here...

>>> int(float('55063.000000'))
55063

Has to be used!