How to Split a String

[Siah]

Hi,

I need to convert the string: '(a, b, "c", d, "e")' into the following
list ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']. Much like a csv reader does. I usually
use the split function, but this mini-monster wouldn't properly get
split up due to those random quotations postgresql returns to me.

Please help me with this,
Thanks,
Sia

[Bjoern Schliessmann]

Siah wrote:

I need to convert the string: '(a, b, "c", d, "e")' into the
following list ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']. Much like a csv reader
does. I usually use the split function, but this mini-monster
wouldn't properly get split up due to those random quotations
postgresql returns to me.

I heavily suggest you to look at the docs -- those are very basic
functions.

http://docs.python.org/lib/string-methods.html

One solution might be:

>>results = []
for part in '(a, b, "c", d, "e")'.split("," ):

.... part = part.strip()
.... part = part.strip("(), \"")
.... part = part.strip()
.... results.append( part)
....

>>print results

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']

>>>

Regards,
Björn
--
BOFH excuse #285:

Telecommunicati ons is upgrading.

[Grant Edwards]

On 2007-11-29, Siah <si*********@gm ail.comwrote:

I need to convert the string: '(a, b, "c", d, "e")' into the following
list ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']. Much like a csv reader does.

http://docs.python.org/lib/module-csv.html

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! ... the HIGHWAY is
at made out of LIME JELLO and
visi.com my HONDA is a barbequeued
OYSTER! Yum!

[Tim Chase]

I need to convert the string: '(a, b, "c", d, "e")' into the

following list ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']. Much like a csv
reader does. I usually use the split function, but this
mini-monster wouldn't properly get split up due to those
random quotations postgresql returns to me.

Uh...use the csv reader? :) No need to reinvent the parsing wheel.

>>import csv
from StringIO import StringIO
s = 'a,b,"c",d,"e"'
csv.reader(St ringIO(s)).next ()

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']

If you really have the parens in your string too, you can peal
them off first with "s[1:-1]"

>>s = '(a,b,"c",d,"e" )'
csv.reader(St ringIO(s[1:-1])).next()

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']

or strip any/all parens:

>>s = '(a,b,"c",d,"e" )'
csv.reader(St ringIO(s.lstrip ('(').rstrip(') '))).next()

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']

-tkc

[imho]

Siah ha scritto:

Hi,

I need to convert the string: '(a, b, "c", d, "e")' into the following
list ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']. Much like a csv reader does. I usually
use the split function, but this mini-monster wouldn't properly get
split up due to those random quotations postgresql returns to me.

Please help me with this,
Thanks,
Sia

One solution:

>>s = '(a, b, "c", d, "e")'
print [x.strip('" ') for x in s.strip('()').s plit(',')]

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']

[Siah]

The basic split/strip method wouldn't split '(a, b, "c,...", d)',
which is why I chose not to use it.

The csv solution seems to work well, that helped me much here (thank
you), but I am looking to see if I can get it solved with some regular
expression. This is how far I've come so far, but it needs much work:
re.compile('"*, "*').split( x[1:-1])

Thanks for your help,
Sia


On Nov 29, 3:24 pm, Bjoern Schliessmann <usenet-
mail-0306.20.chr0n.. .@spamgourmet.c omwrote:

Siah wrote:

I need to convert the string: '(a, b, "c", d, "e")' into the
following list ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']. Much like a csv reader
does. I usually use the split function, but this mini-monster
wouldn't properly get split up due to those random quotations
postgresql returns to me.

I heavily suggest you to look at the docs -- those are very basic
functions.

http://docs.python.org/lib/string-methods.html

One solution might be:

>results = []
for part in '(a, b, "c", d, "e")'.split("," ):

... part = part.strip()
... part = part.strip("(), \"")
... part = part.strip()
... results.append( part)
...>>print results

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']

Regards,

Björn

--
BOFH excuse #285:

Telecommunicati ons is upgrading.

[Grant Edwards]

On 2007-11-29, imho <ce***@comeno.i twrote:

Siah ha scritto:

>Hi,

I need to convert the string: '(a, b, "c", d, "e")' into the following
list ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']. Much like a csv reader does. I usually
use the split function, but this mini-monster wouldn't properly get
split up due to those random quotations postgresql returns to me.

Please help me with this,
Thanks,
Sia

One solution:

>s = '(a, b, "c", d, "e")'
print [x.strip('" ') for x in s.strip('()').s plit(',')]

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']

That fails when a quoted string contains commas:

>>s = '(a, b, "c", d, "e,f,g")'
print [x.strip('" ') for x in s.strip('()').s plit(',')]

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g']

I presume the correct result would be

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e,f,g']

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! I wonder if I could
at ever get started in the
visi.com credit world?

[Grant Edwards]

On 2007-11-29, Grant Edwards <gr****@visi.co mwrote:

>One solution:

>>s = '(a, b, "c", d, "e")'
print [x.strip('" ') for x in s.strip('()').s plit(',')]

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']

That fails when a quoted string contains commas:

>>>s = '(a, b, "c", d, "e,f,g")'
print [x.strip('" ') for x in s.strip('()').s plit(',')]

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g']

I presume the correct result would be

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e,f,g']

You can get that result easily with the csv module:

>>repr(ss)

'\'a,b,"c",d,"e ,f,g"\''

>>for row in csv.reader([ss],skipinitialspa ce=True):

.... print row
....
['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e,f,g']

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! I'm not available
at for comment..
visi.com

[Siah]

Thanks Mr. Edwards, I went ahead and started using the csv reader.
Sia

[imho]

Grant Edwards ha scritto:

>One solution:

>>>>s = '(a, b, "c", d, "e")'
print [x.strip('" ') for x in s.strip('()').s plit(',')]

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']

That fails when a quoted string contains commas:

>>>s = '(a, b, "c", d, "e,f,g")'
print [x.strip('" ') for x in s.strip('()').s plit(',')]

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g']

I presume the correct result would be

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e,f,g']

Uhm, agree. I supposed quoted strings were presumed to be 'trivial'.
Definitely csv module is the solution :-)