> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > On May 4, 5:02 am, Jaswant <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > This is a simple way to do it i think > > > > s=hello > > > > >>> if(len(s)==0): > > > > ... print "Empty" > > ... else: > > ... print s > > ... > > hello > > But you are still making the assumption that s is a string. > (BTW, you need quotes around your example.) > > For example: > > >>> print a,b > 11 11 > > Can you tell which one is the string? I.e., which one had quotes > around it? > > If you correctly assume that it was b, then yes, your example works. > > >>> print len(b) > 2 > > If you incorrectly assume it was a, then the example doesn't work. > > >>> print len(a) > Traceback (most recent call last): > File "<pyshell#8>", line 1, in <module> > print len(a) > TypeError: object of type 'int' has no len() > > You have to know that a variable is a string before you try to do a > len(). > > Dynamic typing is a feature, but that doesn't relieve you of the > necessary tests.
Your point would be important if the question were "How can I tell if x is an empty string?" On the other hand, "How to check if a string is empty?" implies that the OP already knows it is a string. Maybe he's been using string methods on it, maybe he got it from a function that he knows provides a string. Maybe he's checked its type. It doesn't really matter, if he's aware it is a string he doesn't have to test it for stringness. --- -Bill Hamilton -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
