Generate Random String as String, not List

Question

from string import ascii_uppercase, digits
import string
import random


def generatestr():
    str0 = random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,2) + random.sample(ascii_uppercase,1) + random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,2)
    str1 = random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,5)
    str2 = random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,3) + random.sample(ascii_uppercase,1) + random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,1)
    str3 = random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,5)
    str4 = random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,4)
    key = str(str0) + "-" + str(str1) + "-" + str(str2) + "-" + str(str3) + "-" + str(str4) + "Z"
    return ''.join(key)

    

print(generatestr())

['H', 'J', 'U', 'V', '8']-['6', '4', '5', 'Z', '0']-['L', '8', '7', 'D', 'Q']-['9', 'P', 'F', 'T', 'B']-['M', '8', 'G', 'V']Z

Expected output: ABCDE-ABCDE-ABCDE-ABCDE-ABCDZ

random.sample returns a list which you would need to join in order to get a string. — John Coleman
– John Coleman, Commented Jan 21, 2023 at 15:58
@JohnColeman What do you mean exactly? Apologies as this is a new topic for me — Tyler
– Tyler, Commented Jan 21, 2023 at 16:00
random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,2) is a list of 2 characters but ''.join(random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,2)) would be a string of length 2 -- which is what you want. — John Coleman
– John Coleman, Commented Jan 21, 2023 at 16:01
return '-'.join(map("".join, (str0, str1, str2, str3, str4)) — Steven Rumbalski
– Steven Rumbalski, Commented Jan 21, 2023 at 19:28

Jodla · Accepted Answer · 2023-01-21 16:01:13Z

1

Random.sample returns a list. When you use str(str0) then you change a list to a string which outputs: ['H', 'J', 'U', 'V', '8']

In order to get expected output, you have to change a line to:

key = "".join(str0) + "-" + "".join(str1) + "-" + "".join(str2) + "-" + "".join(str3) + "-" + "".join(str4) + "Z"

answered Jan 21, 2023 at 16:01

Jodla

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Tyler · Accepted Answer · 2023-01-21 16:03:24Z

0

Solution:

    key = ''.join(str0) + "-" + ''.join(str1) + "-" + ''.join(str2) + "-" + ''.join(str3) + "-" + ''.join(str4) + "Z"
    return key

answered Jan 21, 2023 at 16:03

Tyler

1

1 Comment

onlyphantom Over a year ago

This answer is exactly identical to an earlier answer by @Jodla. StackOverflow considers this a duplicate.

Wilson · Accepted Answer · 2023-01-21 19:21:59Z

str when used on a collection typically gives a string that looks like an inline representation of the collection, hence

str([1,2,3])

outputs

'[1, 2, 3]'

To give a string representation of a list the way you want it, you want to join the items of the list. my_string.join, as you've already noticed, applies the str function to each item of a list, concatenates all the results, separating them using the value of the string my_string, then returns the result. Hence

''.join([1,2,3])

outputs

'123'

So this is what you want:

def generatestr():
    rands = []
    rands.append(random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,2) + random.sample(ascii_uppercase,1) + random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,2))
    rands.append(random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,5))
    rands.append(random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,3) + random.sample(ascii_uppercase,1) + random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,1))
    rands.append(random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,5))
    rands.append(random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase,4))
    return '-'.join([''.join(rand_list) for rand_list in rands])

Hai Vu · Accepted Answer · 2023-01-22 19:31:00Z

Others have said it: random.sample() returns a list. My approach is to generate a big list, then join together using an empty string:

from string import ascii_uppercase, digits
import random


def generatestr():
    key = (
        random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase, 2)
        + random.sample(ascii_uppercase, 1)
        + random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase, 2)
        + ["-"]
        + random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase, 5)
        + ["-"]
        + random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase, 3)
        + random.sample(ascii_uppercase, 1)
        + random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase, 1)
        + ["-"]
        + random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase, 5)
        + random.sample(digits + ascii_uppercase, 4)
    )
    return "".join(key)


print(generatestr())

Notes

Do no need to import string
This solution uses black to format the code for reaability

shamnad sherief · Accepted Answer · 2023-01-23 05:20:50Z

0

import random
import string
random_string1 = "".join(random.choices(string.ascii_uppercase, k =5))
random_string2 = "".join(random.choices(string.ascii_uppercase, k =5))
random_string3 = "".join(random.choices(string.ascii_uppercase, k =3))
random_string4 = "".join(random.choices(string.ascii_uppercase, k =2))
print(random_string1+"-"+random_string2+"-"+random_string3+"-"+random_string4)

Output:-

ZZUSR-ZUNVA-CFS-HE

answered Jan 23, 2023 at 5:20

shamnad sherief

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