oddness in string.find(sub,somestring)

[MyHaz]

OK i find this a quark in string.find that i think needs some
consideration.

Normally if a substring is not in the searched_string then string.find
returns -1 (why not len(searched_string) + 1, i don't know but
nevermind that) but what if a searched_string == '' ? Then
string.find(substring,searched_string) == 0 ?

example:

import string
searched_string="abcdefg"
substring="123"
print string.find(substring,searched_string) -1 searched_string=""
print string.find(substring,searched_string) 0

why would this be? And when is someone going to fix it :P
- Haz

[Diez B. Roggisch]

MyHaz wrote:

OK i find this a quark in string.find that i think needs some
consideration.
You shouldn't use the module string anymore, instead use string-methods.
Normally if a substring is not in the searched_string then string.find
returns -1 (why not len(searched_string) + 1, i don't know but
Because then you need to know how large that string is. That makes the
case-distinction much easier - as -1 can never be the position of a
substring.

Besides, a value of len(haystack) + 1 says "The needle is beyond that
string" - which is bogus.
nevermind that) but what if a searched_string == '' ? Then
string.find(substring,searched_string) == 0 ?

"".find("fooob")

-1

as expected. Which python version do you use?

--
Regards,

Diez B. Roggisch

[Fredrik Lundh]

"MyHaz" wrote:

searched_string=""
print string.find(substring,searched_string) 0
why would this be? And when is someone going to fix it :P

substring[0:0+len(searched_string)] == searched_string

True

</F>

[Max M]

MyHaz wrote:

import string
searched_string="abcdefg"
substring="123"
print string.find(substring,searched_string) -1
searched_string=""
print string.find(substring,searched_string)

0
why would this be? And when is someone going to fix it :P

I don't know. When are you going to fix it?

--

hilsen/regards Max M, Denmark

http://www.mxm.dk/
IT's Mad Science

[Max M]

MyHaz wrote:

why would this be? And when is someone going to fix it :P

Whoops ... This missed the previous message together with the wink ...

;-)

"When *are* you going to fix it ..."

substring="123"

import string
searched_string="abcdefg"
print string.find(searched_string, substring) # note the order

searched_string=""
print string.find(searched_string, substring)

You will not make that error if you use the string method instead.

searched_string.find(substring)

And you don't have to import anything either..

--

hilsen/regards Max M, Denmark

http://www.mxm.dk/
IT's Mad Science

[MyHaz]

thanks all that clears things up nicely
- Haz