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How to dynamically assign an unknown number of list elements?

I have this code which works but it's a big function block of IF..ELIF..ELSE. Is there a way to unpack or dynamically assign two lists. The thing is, sometimes mylist could have less elements than 4.
Input:
mylist=['1','2','3','4']
flag=['a','b','c','d']
Output:
A string object like 'a=1/b=2/c=3/d=4/' OR 'a=1/b=2/c=3/' if mylist only has 3 elements.
My current method is just like:
def myoutput(mylist, flag):
if flag=='3':
out = f'a={mylist[0]}/b={mylist[1]}/c={mylist[2]}/'
else:
out = f'a={mylist[0]}/b={mylist[1]}/c={mylist[2]}/d={mylist[3]}/'
return out
I tried to zip the two list, but I do not know the next steps and it doesn't really work:
tag_vars={}
for i in range((zip(mylist,flag))):
tag_vars[f"mylist{i}"] = flag[i]
print(tag_vars)

I would use zip for this task following way
mylist=['1','2','3','4']
flag=['a','b','c','d']
out = ''.join(f'{f}={m}/' for f,m in zip(flag,mylist))
print(out)
output
a=1/b=2/c=3/d=4/
Note that I used f,m with zip so f and m are corresponding elements from flag and mylist. Disclaimer: this solution assumes flag and mylist have always equal lengths.

You can use zip like this:
for a, b in zip(alist, blist): ...
I modified myoutput function to return your desired output
mylist=['1','2','3','4']
flag=['a','b','c','d']
def myoutput(mylist, flag):
result = []
for elem, f in zip(mylist, flag):
result.append(f"{f}={elem}")
return "/".join(result)
print(myoutput(mylist, flag)) # a=1/b=2/c=3/d=4
print(myoutput(mylist[:3], flag)) # a=1/b=2/c=3

Store the output of a function into a variable

I have the following function that returns data:
def get_comments():
for i in data:
comment_data = i['comments']
for z in comment_data:
comments = comment_data['data']
for j in comments:
comment = j['message']
print(comment)
I would like to save the output of this function to a variable. I'm using print instead of return (in the function get_comments) since, return only returns the final row of my data. This is what i have tried to account for that:
def hypothetical(x):
return x
z = hypothetical(get_comments())
print(z)
However the output of the variable z is "None".
When i try some other value(i.e.):
z = hypothetical(5)
print(z)
z is equal to 5 of course.
Thanks

Instead of printing each line, you need to add it to a different data structure (such as a list) and return the whole list at the end of get_comments().
For example:
def get_comments():
to_return = []
for i in data:
comment_data = i['comments']
for z in comment_data:
comments = comment_data['data']
for j in comments:
comment = j['message']
to_return.append(comment)
return to_return
If you want to get a bit more advanced, you can instead create a generator using yield:
def get_comments():
for i in data:
comment_data = i['comments']
for z in comment_data:
comments = comment_data['data']
for j in comments:
comment = j['message']
yield comment
Then you can iterate over get_comments() and it will go back into the generator each time to get the next comment. Or you could simply cast the generator into a list with list(get_comments()) in order to get back to your desired list of comments.
Refer to this excellent answer for more about yield and generators.

Recursively Generating a List of n choose k combinations in Python - BUT return a list

I'm attempting to generate all n choose k combinations of a list (not checking for uniqueness) recursively by following the strategy of either include or not include an element for each recursive call. I can definitely print out the combinations but I for the life of me cannot figure out how to return the correct list in Python. Here are some attempts below:
class getCombinationsClass:
def __init__(self,array,k):
#initialize empty array
self.new_array = []
for i in xrange(k):
self.new_array.append(0)
self.final = []
self.combinationUtil(array,0,self.new_array,0,k)
def combinationUtil(self,array,array_index,current_combo, current_combo_index,k):
if current_combo_index == k:
self.final.append(current_combo)
return
if array_index >= len(array):
return
current_combo[current_combo_index] = array[array_index]
#if current item included
self.combinationUtil(array,array_index+1,current_combo,current_combo_index+1,k)
#if current item not included
self.combinationUtil(array,array_index+1,current_combo,current_combo_index,k)
In the above example I tried to append the result to an external list which didn't seem to work. I also tried implementing this by recursively constructing a list which is finally returned:
def getCombinations(array,k):
#initialize empty array
new_array = []
for i in xrange(k):
new_array.append(0)
return getCombinationsUtil(array,0,new_array,0,k)
def getCombinationsUtil(array,array_index,current_combo, current_combo_index,k):
if current_combo_index == k:
return [current_combo]
if array_index >= len(array):
return []
current_combo[current_combo_index] = array[array_index]
#if current item included & not included
return getCombinationsUtil(array,array_index+1,current_combo,current_combo_index+1,k) + getCombinationsUtil(array,array_index+1,current_combo,current_combo_index,k)
When I tested this out for the list [1,2,3] and k = 2, for both implementations, I kept getting back the result [[3,3],[3,3],[3,3]]. However, if I actually print out the 'current_combo' variable within the inner (current_combo_index == k) if statement, the correct combinations print out. What gives? I am misunderstanding something to do with variable scope or Python lists?

The second method goes wrong because the line
return [current_combo]
returns a reference to current_combo. At the end of the program, all the combinations returned are references to the same current_combo.
You can fix this by making a copy of the current_combo by changing the line to:
return [current_combo[:]]
The first method fails for the same reason, you need to change:
self.final.append(current_combo)
to
self.final.append(current_combo[:])

Check this out: itertools.combinations. You can take a look at the implementation as well.

Why doesn't my function to swap variables swap variables?

First, I have this function:
def change_pos(a, b):
temp = a
a = b
b = temp
print 'Done'
And I call it in another function but it just print 'Done' and do nothing.
I write the code directly:
a = 1
b = 2
temp = a
a = b
b = temp
It works fine. Any suggestion here?
Second, this is my code
def check_exception(list):
for element in list:
# Take list of numbers
# \s*: Skip space or not (\t\n\r\f\v), \d: Number [0-9]
# ?: Non-capturing version of regular parentheses
first = re.compile("\s*(?:\[)(\d+)\s*(?:,)").findall(element)
last = re.compile("\s*(?:,)(\d+)\s*(?:\])").findall(element)
# Convert string to integer
first_int = map(int, first)
last_int = map(int, last)
# Check and code above works
i = 0
print first_int[i]
change_pos(first_int[i],first_int[i+1])
print first_int[i+1]
print len(first_int)
#print type(first_int[0])
# Sort
# Error: list index out of range at line 47 and more
i = 0
while i < len(first_int):
if first_int[i] > first_int[i+1]:
change_pos(first_int[i], first_int[i+1])
change_pos(last_int[i], last_int[i+1])
i += 1
# Check exception
j = 0
while j < len(last_int):
if last_int[j] < first_int[j+1]:
return false
break
else:
j += 1
continue
return true
And I see: IndexError: list index out of range at conditions after # Error
Thanks for any help. :)

Your change_pos function does nothing useful as it only swaps the variables inside the function, not the variables that was used to call the function. One method of accomplishing what you want is this:
def change_pos(a, b):
print 'DONE'
return b, a
and then using it becomes:
a, b = change_pos(a,b)
Or even without a function:
a, b = b, a
Secondly, I'm sure you can figure out why you're getting an index error on your own. But here's why anyways. Arrays are zero indexed and you are using the length of last_int in your while loop. Now imagine last_int has a length of 5. That means it has index values ranging from 0-4. In the last iteration of the loop you are attempting to access last_int[5] in your if statement (last_int[j+1]) which of course will give you an index error.

You may have been told that variables are locations in memory with data in it. This is not true for Python. Variables are just names that point to objects.
Hence, you can not in Python write a function such as the change_pos function you attempt to write, because the names you change will be the names used in the function, not the names used when calling.
Instead of this:
a = 1
b = 2
change_pos(a, b)
You will have to do this:
a = 1
b = 2
a, b = change_pos(a, b)
The function needs to look like this:
def change_pos(a, b):
return b, a
This give you a hint that there is an easier way, and indeed there is. You can do this:
a = 1
b = 2
a, b = b, a
So no need for a function at all.
Since you actually want to swap integers in a list, you can make a function like this:
def change_pos(lst, p):
lst[p], lst[p+1] = lst[p+1], lst[p]
But I don't think that adds significantly the the readability of the code.
Also your usage of this is prefixed with the comment #sort. But your code does not sort. It's a bit like a half-assed bubble sort, but I don't know why you would want to do that.

Numbers are immutable in python. His when you pass them to a function, the function works with copies of the variables. This can be tricky if you try this with mutable types like Lists. But python has this function covered with some neat syntax tricks.
a, b = b, a
This swaps two variables with no need for any additional functions.

How do you make an object return a sorted array instead of an empty one in python?

I'm trying to create a library of some common algorithms so that people will be able to use them easily. I created an object called Compare, which has some methods that would be useful in these algorithms.
Code for Compare:
class Compare(list):
def __init__(self,arr):
self.arr = arr
def __compare(self,u,v):
# Compares one item of a Compare
# object to another
if u < v:
return 1
if u == v:
return 0
if u > v:
return -1
def __swap(self,arr,i,j):
# Exchanges i and j
temp = arr[i]
arr[i] = arr[j]
a[j] = temp
def __determine(self,arr):
# Determines if the array is sorted or not
for i in range(0,len(array)):
if self.__compare(arr[i], arr[i+1]) == -1:
return False
return True
def __printout(self,arr):
for i in range(0,len(array)):
return arr[i] + '\n'
def sorted(self):
if self.__determine(arr):
return True
return False
Here's one of the algorithms that uses this class:
def SelectionSort(array):
try:
array = Compare(array)
for ix in range(0, len(array)):
m = ix
j = ix+1
for j in range(0,len(array)):
if array.__compare(array[j], array[m]) == -1:
m = j
array.__swap(arr, ix, m)
return array
except(TypeError) as error:
print "Must insert array for sort to work."
The problem I'm having is that whenever I try to use this or any of the other algorithms, it returns an empty array instead of the sorted array. I'm not sure how to get the Compare object to return the sorted array.

I'm pretty sure this is what is happening. When you call :
array = Compare(array)
You overwrite the reference to the original array. Array is now a reference to a Compare object. Replace array with array.arr (or name array something better) and this should work I think! :)
Remember that python is loosely typed, so that your "array" variable is just a reference to some data. In this case, you are switching it from a reference to a list to a reference to a Compare object.
Think about:
>>> x = 1
>>> x
1
>>> x = 's'
>>> x
's'
And think about what happens to the 1 ;)

Your code has many problems some of them make it to fail
for example
in sorted you are using a maybe global arr that doesn't exist, instead
of self.arr).
in swap you also use a[j] = temp, but a is local to the method and you do not use it for anything
you are using two underscores for your methods. This puts name mangling to work, So the calls in the function do not work in the way you do them. Probably you want a single underscore to indicate that this are private methods.
But the main problem is that Compare is not returnig a list. For that you need:
class Compare(list):
def __init__(self, arr):
list.__init__(self, arr)
then:
>>> print Compare([1,2,3,4])
[1, 2, 3, 4]
In this way you should use in your methods self instead of self.arr because your instance is a list (or an instance of a subclass of list).
So the following is your code modified to actually work. The only problem is that your sorting algorithn is wrong an it is not sorting right. But you can do from here I suppose:
class Compare(list):
def __init__(self, arr):
list.__init__(self, arr)
def _compare(self, u, v):
# Compares one item of a Compare
# object to another
if u < v:
return 1
if u == v:
return 0
if u > v:
return -1
def _swap(self, i, j):
# Exchanges i and j
temp = self[i]
self[i] = self[j]
self[j] = temp
def _determine(self):
# Determines if the array is sorted or not
for i in range(len(array)):
if self._compare(self[i], self[i+1]) == -1:
return False
return True
def _printout(self):
for i in self:
return i + '\n'
def sorted(self):
if self._determine():
return True
return False
def SelectionSort(array):
try:
array = Compare(array)
for ix in range(len(array)):
m = ix
j = ix + 1
for j in range(len(array)):
if array._compare(array[j], array[m]) == -1:
m = j
array._swap(ix, m)
return array
except(TypeError) as error:
print "Must insert array for sort to work."

You're not returning the array, you're returning a Compare wrapped around the array. If you intend Compare to be a proxy, the wrapping is incomplete, as you don't forward the standard container operations to the proxied array. In addition, you'll need to consistently use the Compare instance. Currently, you sometimes use the Compare and other times use the original sequence object, such as every place you pass the sequence to a method. Instead, use the Compare object within its own methods.
However, that's having Compare do two things: be an algorithm collection, and be a sequence. If you keep the Compare object separate and work on the list directly, you can switch out the algorithms easily. This is the more typical approach; list.sort works this way, taking a comparator as an argument. You'll also need to fix your implementation of Compare, which uses the wrong variable name in numerous places (array, when the local variable is named arr). If you want anyone to use your library, it's going to have to be much better designed.
As further reasons not to make Compare a sequence, consider what happens when you need to change comparison methods: you end up wrapping the Compare in another, making the wrapped Compare useless.
Consider the approach used in math: an order is a relationship defined on a set, not an intrinsic part of the set, and it especially isn't a part of sequences of items from the set. This reveals another conceptual error with your original approach: it couples an ordering (which is a set relationship) with operations on sequences of elements from the set. The two should be kept separate, so that you can use different comparisons with the sequence operations.
Off-Topic
There are a number of other mistakes of various types in the code. For example, in SelectionSort you assume that type errors must be due to a non-sequence being passed as array. Comparing instances of uncomparable types (such as 0 and 'd') will also result in a type error. For another example, Compare.sorted is useless; it's of the pattern:
if test:
return True
return False
This is logically equivalent to:
return test
which means Compare.sorted is equivalent to Compare.__determine. Make the latter the former, as sorted is a more descriptive name. "determine" is too ambiguous; it begs the question of what's being determined.
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