String parsing with Python

Question

I can't seem to find any docs on the parse() method for strings. Is there a good reference? I want to parse the following:

frame 0 rows {3 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 4 3 3 4 3 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 3 2 4 3 4 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 4} columns {2 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 3 4 3 5 5 5 5 4 5 4 4 4}

into two lists of int.

That's not what string.parse() is designed to be used for (it's used internally as part of string.format()). Try taking a look at the re regular expressions library instead. — Amber
– Amber, Commented Mar 14, 2011 at 2:09

A. Jesse Jiryu Davis · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-14 02:09:31Z

5

Python strings' parse() won't help you here (it has a very obscure use). In this case, I'd do it the obvious way: With regexes! If 's' is your string above,

import re
lists = [
    [int(i) for i in match.split()]
    for match in re.findall(r'{(.*?)}', s)
]

print lists

answered Mar 14, 2011 at 2:09

A. Jesse Jiryu Davis

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Utku Zihnioglu · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-14 02:08:43Z

1

>>> a="frame 0 rows {3 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 4 3 3 4 3 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 3 2 4 3 4 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 4} columns {2 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 3 4 3 5 5 5 5 4 5 4 4 4}"

>>> import ast
>>> import re
>>> for match in re.finditer("\{([\d ]+)\}",a):
    integers=match.groups()[0]
    l=ast.literal_eval(integers.replace(" ",","))
    print l


(3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 3, 2, 4, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4)
(2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 4, 4, 4)

I have never heard of a parse method to actually parses the string in the way you ask. However, parsing that string is not that hard. Here is how to do it.

answered Mar 14, 2011 at 2:08

Utku Zihnioglu

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3 Comments

Senthil Kumaran Over a year ago

Why are you using ast here?

Utku Zihnioglu Over a year ago

@Senthil: There is no good reason to use it in this particular case. Just calling int() like in Jesse's answer is probably more efficient and right way to do it.

Neil G Over a year ago

@funktu: Thanks for the answer anyway as I am still not familiar with ast, and it's good to some examples of its use.

PaulMcG · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-14 04:32:36Z

For such nicely structured data, pyparsing may be more than you need, but it makes for a good tutorial example:

from pyparsing import *

s = "frame 0 rows {3 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 4 3 3 4 3 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 3 2 4 3 4 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 4} columns {2 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 3 4 3 5 5 5 5 4 5 4 4 4}"

LBRACE,RBRACE = map(Suppress,"{}")
integer = Word(nums).setParseAction(lambda t:int(t[0]))

line = ("frame" + integer("frame") + 
        "rows" + LBRACE + ZeroOrMore(integer)("rows") + RBRACE + 
        "columns" + LBRACE + ZeroOrMore(integer)("columns") + RBRACE )

data = line.parseString(s)
print data.frame
print data.rows[:10]
print data.columns[:10]

prints:

0
[3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3]
[2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 2]

Tom · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-14 02:08:03Z

0

type pydoc -p 5000 into the command line then got to http://localhost:5000/string.html#Formatter-parse

answered Mar 14, 2011 at 2:08

Tom

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Comments

dting · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-14 02:22:55Z

m_string = "frame 0 rows {3 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 4 3 3 4 3 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 3 2 4 3 4 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 4} columns {2 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 3 4 3 5 5 5 5 4 5 4 4 4}"

import re

print [[ int(i) for i in  x.split(" ")] for x in [ match for match in re.findall("\{([\d ]+)\}", m_string)] ]

results in:

[[3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 3, 2, 4, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4], [2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 4, 4, 4]]

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