On 7/27/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hello All, > > I'd greatly appreciate if you can take a look at the task I need help > with. > > It'd be outstanding if someone can provide some sample Python code. > > Thanks a lot, > > Ira > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Problem > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > I am working with 30K+ record datasets in flat file format (.txt) that > look like this: > > //-+alibaba sinage > //-+amra damian//_9 > //-+anix anire//_ > //-+borom > //-+bokima sun drane > //-+ciren > //-+cop calestieon eded > //-+ciciban > //-+drago kimano sole > > > The records start with the same string (in the example //-+) wich is > followed by another string of characters taht's changing from record > to record. > > I am working on one file at the time and for each file I need to be > able to do the following: > > a) By looping thru the file the program should isolate all records > that have letter a following the //-+ > b) The isolated dataset will contain only records that start with //- > +a > c) Save the isolated dataset as flat flat text file named a.txt > d) Repeat a), b) and c) for all letters of english alphabet (a thru z) > and numerical values (0 thru 9)
Well that should be easy if you take a look at methods in "string" module: A rough sketch would be : import string # import string module alnums = list(string.lowercase+string.digits) # create a list of alphabets and digits for alnum in alnums: outfile = open(alnum+'.txt', 'w') for line in file("myrecords.txt"): # iterate over the records if line.startswith("//-+"+alnum): # check your condition # write the matches to a file outfile.write(line) outfile.close() However rather than looping over the file for each alnum you may just iterate over the file, and check the starting characters (if len(line) > 4: ch=line[4]) , and if it is alnum then process it. Cheers, -- ---- Amit Khemka website: www.onyomo.com wap-site: www.owap.in Home Page: www.cse.iitd.ernet.in/~csd00377 Endless the world's turn, endless the sun's Spinning, Endless the quest; I turn again, back to my own beginning, And here, find rest. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list