Ok, I was thinking along the same lines myself, replacing ++ etc.. until no more replacements are made.
I hadnt considered creating a table of pairs and replacements though, or realised that the same replace method would work in that case. handy :) The dictionary is unordered; would differences in the order of replacements being made effect the final outcome? IE */* replaced in order of */ then /* would give (using table below) */ => ** /* => ** But in the order /* then */ */* /* => */ */ => * I've tried testing, but I'm not certain wether repeated iterations over a dict return different sequences of key,value pairs or wether I'll be getting the same (but arbitrary) sequence each time even though they are unordered, etc So for testing, what could I do to guarantee the next iteration over the dict will give keys/pairs in a different sequence to last time? ...actually, whenever I iterate over the dict say with for k,v in n.items() I get exactly the same sequence each time. For once I want to exploit the dict's unorderedness and it's decided its going to be all ordered... Matt. Internet [EMAIL PROTECTED] To python-list Sent by: cc python-list-bounces+matthew.warren=uk.bnpparibas.com@ python.org Subject Re: validate string is valid maths 28/01/2008 15:43 On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:10:54 +0000, Matthew_WARREN wrote: > Hi pythoners. > > I am generating strings of length n, randomly from the symbols > > +-/*0123456789 > > What would be the 'sensible' way of transforming the string, for example > changing '3++++++8' into 3+8 That's easy: replace pairs of + into a single +, repeatedly until there's nothing left to replace. And so forth. Here's an untested function. It's probably not even close to optimal, but for playing around it is probably fine. def rationalise_signs(s): while "++" in s or "+-" in s or "-+" in s or "--" in s: s = s.replace("++", "+") s = s.replace("--", "+") s = s.replace("+-", "-") s = s.replace("-+", "-") return s > or '3++--*-9' into '3+-9' such that eval(string) will always return a > number? > > in cases where multiple symbols conflict in meaning (as '3++--*-9' the > earliest valid symbols in the sequence should be preserved You have four symbols, so there are just 4*4=16 sets of two symbols. Probably the easiest way is to just list them and their replacements out in a table: table = {"++": "+", "+-": "-", "+*": "+", "+/": "+", "-+": "-", "--": "+", "-*": "-", "-/": "-", "*+": "*", "**": "*", "*/": "*", "/+": "/", "/*": "/", "//": "/", } Notice that both *- and /- don't get changed. # Untested. def rationalise_signs(s): prev = '' while s != prev: prev = s for key, value in table.items(): s = s.replace(key, value) return s -- Steven -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list This message and any attachments (the "message") is intended solely for the addressees and is confidential. If you receive this message in error, please delete it and immediately notify the sender. Any use not in accord with its purpose, any dissemination or disclosure, either whole or partial, is prohibited except formal approval. The internet can not guarantee the integrity of this message. BNP PARIBAS (and its subsidiaries) shall (will) not therefore be liable for the message if modified. Do not print this message unless it is necessary, consider the environment. --------------------------------------------- Ce message et toutes les pieces jointes (ci-apres le "message") sont etablis a l'intention exclusive de ses destinataires et sont confidentiels. Si vous recevez ce message par erreur, merci de le detruire et d'en avertir immediatement l'expediteur. Toute utilisation de ce message non conforme a sa destination, toute diffusion ou toute publication, totale ou partielle, est interdite, sauf autorisation expresse. L'internet ne permettant pas d'assurer l'integrite de ce message, BNP PARIBAS (et ses filiales) decline(nt) toute responsabilite au titre de ce message, dans l'hypothese ou il aurait ete modifie. N'imprimez ce message que si necessaire, pensez a l'environnement. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list