Bizzare lst length problem

[Ben]

Hello...hopeful ly my last question :-)

I ave a dictionary, where each value is a class instance. I access it
using:

for k, v in self.panels.pan el_list.items() :
print "Number:\t",v.n umber
print "Level:\t",v.le vel
print "Location:\t",v .location
print "MOPS:\t",v.mop s
print "List length:\t",len( v.mops)
print "Matrix:\t",v.m atrix,"\n\n"

The output from this would be (for a given key value):
Number: 181
Level: ovride+supvis
Location: mons=4 v8.0 3rd floor
MOPS: ['287', '288', '289', '290']
List Length: 28
Matrix: kng

This is really odd...my len(v.mops) ought to return 4 (4 elements in
the list). In fact it returns 28. looking at outputs from lots of
records, it seems that the length is almost always 7 time too great
(28/7=4)....but not always. This is really confusing...can anyon
suggest what is going on?

I've been trying to output the list elements as a string with equally
limmited success, but the thing seems so simple I can't see where the
prblem might lie....

Cheers,

Ben

[Fredrik Lundh]

Ben wrote:

The output from this would be (for a given key value):
Number: 181
Level: ovride+supvis
Location: mons=4 v8.0 3rd floor
MOPS: ['287', '288', '289', '290']
List Length: 28
Matrix: kng

This is really odd...my len(v.mops) ought to return 4 (4 elements in
the list).

adding a

print type(v.mops), repr(v.mops)

debug statement might provide you with the clues you need.

In fact it returns 28. looking at outputs from lots of
records, it seems that the length is almost always 7 time too great
(28/7=4)....but not always.

>>len("['287',")

7

>>len(" '288',")

7

>>len(" '289',")

7

>>len(" '290']")

7

</F>

[Ben]

Ah... my list is a string. That explains the len() results, but not why
it is a string in the dirst place.

I have a dictionary containing a number of instances of the following
class as values:

class panel:
mops =[]

def __init__(self,n umber,level,loc ation,mops,matr ix):
self.number=num ber
self.level=leve l
self.location=l ocation
self.mops=mops
self.matrix=mat rix
abve mops is a list, yet when I access it it is a string...

Fredrik Lundh wrote:

Ben wrote:

The output from this would be (for a given key value):
Number: 181
Level: ovride+supvis
Location: mons=4 v8.0 3rd floor
MOPS: ['287', '288', '289', '290']
List Length: 28
Matrix: kng

This is really odd...my len(v.mops) ought to return 4 (4 elements in
the list).

adding a

print type(v.mops), repr(v.mops)

debug statement might provide you with the clues you need.

In fact it returns 28. looking at outputs from lots of
records, it seems that the length is almost always 7 time too great
(28/7=4)....but not always.

>>len("['287',")

7

>>len(" '288',")

7

>>len(" '289',")

7

>>len(" '290']")

7

</F>

[Ben]

....and when I print out the string, it is still formatted as one would
expect a list to be:

<type 'str'"['01', '02', '03', '04']"

Ben wrote:

Ah... my list is a string. That explains the len() results, but not why
it is a string in the dirst place.

I have a dictionary containing a number of instances of the following
class as values:

class panel:
mops =[]

def __init__(self,n umber,level,loc ation,mops,matr ix):
self.number=num ber
self.level=leve l
self.location=l ocation
self.mops=mops
self.matrix=mat rix
abve mops is a list, yet when I access it it is a string...

Fredrik Lundh wrote:

Ben wrote:

The output from this would be (for a given key value):
Number: 181
Level: ovride+supvis
Location: mons=4 v8.0 3rd floor
MOPS: ['287', '288', '289', '290']
List Length: 28
Matrix: kng
>
This is really odd...my len(v.mops) ought to return 4 (4 elements in
the list).

adding a

print type(v.mops), repr(v.mops)

debug statement might provide you with the clues you need.

In fact it returns 28. looking at outputs from lots of
records, it seems that the length is almost always 7 time too great
(28/7=4)....but not always.

>>len("['287',")

7

>>len(" '288',")

7

>>len(" '289',")

7

>>len(" '290']")

7

</F>

[John Machin]

Ben wrote:

Ah... my list is a string. That explains the len() results, but not why
it is a string in the dirst place.

I have a dictionary containing a number of instances of the following
class as values:

class panel:
mops =[]

def __init__(self,n umber,level,loc ation,mops,matr ix):
self.number=num ber
self.level=leve l
self.location=l ocation
self.mops=mops
self.matrix=mat rix
abve mops is a list, yet when I access it it is a string...

Well, if you are going to spare us from reading all of your code,
you'll have to debug it yourself. The clue that Fredrik gave you is
*not* of the use-once-and-discard variety -- when you are having
problems with the pixies changing your lists into strings, you need to
sprinkle prints of type(pixie_prey ) and repr(pixie_prey ) at salient
points in your code; as first statement in that __init__ method would
be a good start.

[John Machin]

Ben wrote:

Ah... my list is a string. That explains the len() results, but not why
it is a string in the dirst place.

I have a dictionary containing a number of instances of the following
class as values:

class panel:
mops =[]

def __init__(self,n umber,level,loc ation,mops,matr ix):
self.number=num ber
self.level=leve l
self.location=l ocation
self.mops=mops
self.matrix=mat rix
abve mops is a list, yet when I access it it is a string...

Well, if you are going to spare us from reading all of your code,
you'll have to debug it yourself. The clue that Fredrik gave you is
*not* of the use-once-and-discard variety -- when you are having
problems with the pixies changing your lists into strings, you need to
sprinkle prints of type(pixie_prey ) and repr(pixie_prey ) at salient
points in your code; as first statement in that __init__ method would
be a good start.

[Ben]

Thanks for the advice - I'm already doing just that, so hopefully will
soon be sorted :-p
John Machin wrote:

Ben wrote:

Ah... my list is a string. That explains the len() results, but not why
it is a string in the dirst place.

I have a dictionary containing a number of instances of the following
class as values:

class panel:
mops =[]

def __init__(self,n umber,level,loc ation,mops,matr ix):
self.number=num ber
self.level=leve l
self.location=l ocation
self.mops=mops
self.matrix=mat rix
abve mops is a list, yet when I access it it is a string...

Well, if you are going to spare us from reading all of your code,
you'll have to debug it yourself. The clue that Fredrik gave you is
*not* of the use-once-and-discard variety -- when you are having
problems with the pixies changing your lists into strings, you need to
sprinkle prints of type(pixie_prey ) and repr(pixie_prey ) at salient
points in your code; as first statement in that __init__ method would
be a good start.

[John Machin]

Ben wrote:

...and when I print out the string, it is still formatted as one would
expect a list to be:

<type 'str'"['01', '02', '03', '04']"

We know that. Fredrik deduced it and told you well over an hour ago.

Show us the code that is creating instances of the panel class ...

panel1 =
panel(number=?, level=?,locatio n=?,mops=?????? ??????????,matr ix=?)
What are you passing as the 4th positional arg
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ???

[Theerasak Photha]

On 8 Oct 2006 06:12:48 -0700, John Machin <sj******@lexic on.netwrote:

>
Show us the code that is creating instances of the panel class ...

panel1 =
panel(number=?, level=?,locatio n=?,mops=?????? ??????????,matr ix=?)
What are you passing as the 4th positional arg
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ???

This is wholly unnecessary.

-- Theerasak

[John Machin]

Theerasak Photha wrote:

On 8 Oct 2006 06:12:48 -0700, John Machin <sj******@lexic on.netwrote:

Show us the code that is creating instances of the panel class ...

panel1 =
panel(number=?, level=?,locatio n=?,mops=?????? ??????????,matr ix=?)
What are you passing as the 4th positional arg
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ???

This is wholly unnecessary.

-- Theerasak

What is wholly unnecessary?