Partitioning multiline string in python

Question

I'm running a unix command using python script, I'm storing its output (multi-line) in a string variable. Now I have to make 3 files using that multi-line string by partitioning it into three parts (Delimited by a pattern End---End).

This is what my Output variable contains

Output = """Text for file_A
something related to file_A
End---End
Text for file_B
something related to file_B
End---End
Text for file_C
something related to file_C
End---End"""

Now I want to have three files file_A, file_B and file_C for this value of Output:-

contents of file_A

Text for file_A
something related to file_A

contents of file_B

Text for file_B
something related to file_B

contents of file_C

Text for file_C
something related to file_C

Also if Output doesn't have any text for its respective file then I don't want that file to be created.

E.g

Output = """End---End
Text for file_B
something related to file_B
End---End
Text for file_C
something related to file_C
End---End"""

Now I only want file_B and file_C to be created as there is no text for file_A

contents of file_B

Text for file_B
something related to file_B

contents of file_C

Text for file_C
something related to file_C

How can implement this in python? Is there any module to partition a multi-line string using some delimeter?

Thanks :)

fredtantini · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-06 14:23:38Z

2

You can use the split() method:

>>> pprint(Output.split('End---End'))
['Text for file_A\nsomething related to file_A\n',
 '\nText for file_B\nsomething related to file_B\n',
 '\nText for file_C\nsomething related to file_C\n',
 '']

Since there is a 'End---End' at the end, the last split returns '', so you can specify the number of splits:

>>> pprint(Output.split('End---End',2))
['Text for file_A\nsomething related to file_A\n',
 '\nText for file_B\nsomething related to file_B\n',
 '\nText for file_C\nsomething related to file_C\nEnd---End']

answered Jan 6, 2015 at 14:23

fredtantini

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2 Comments

PythonTester Over a year ago

upvoted the answer as it seems the question is a homework question so would hesitate to do more than hint.

Bad_Coder Over a year ago

thanks! duh!! I should really stop coming to this forum high :D This justifies my name 8-)

Necrolyte2 · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-06 14:32:09Z

0

Output = """Text for file_A
something related to file_A
End---End
Text for file_B
something related to file_B
End---End
Text for file_C
something related to file_C
End---End"""

ofiles = ('file_A', 'file_B', 'file_C')

def write_files(files, output):
    for f, contents in zip(files, output.split('End---End')):
        if contents:
            with open(f,'w') as fh:
                fh.write(contents)

write_files(ofiles, Output)

answered Jan 6, 2015 at 14:32

Necrolyte2

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