"placid" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> >>> list1 = [ ' XXX1', 'XXX2', 'XXX3', 'XXX5']
>
> the second list contains strings that are identical to the first list,
> so lets say the second list contains the following
>
> >>> list1 = [ ' XXX1', 'XXX2', 'XXX3', 'XXX6']
I think you meant list2 for the second one. So:
import re
list1 = [ ' XXX1', 'XXX2', 'XXX3', 'XXX5']
list2 = [ ' XXX1', 'XXX2', 'XXX3', 'XXX6']
def num(s):
# get the number out of one of the strings
# (throw exception if no number is there)
digits = re.search('\d+$', s)
return int(digits.group(0))
def get_lowest_unused(list1, list2):
prev = 0
for n in sorted(set(map(num,list1+list2))):
if n != prev+1:
return prev+1
prev = n
print get_lowest_unused(list1, list2)
You could do all this with iterators and save a little memory, but
that's more confusing.
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