converting string to variable [python]

Question

in my program, i have a list of lists that needs to be accessed based on the contents of a variable.

string = [
         [arg1, arg2, arg3],
         [arg1, arg2, arg3]
         ]

string2 = [
          [arg1, arg2, arg3],
          [arg1, arg2, arg3]
          ]

however, this will always be a string.

Class.variable = 'string' # this can be either 'string' or 'string2'

the code i have to access the list of list is

newVariable = Class.variable[seperateVariable][0]

however, this causes an error

IndexError: string index out of range

i've figured out the cause of this is because Class.variable is a string and not actually a variable.

what would be the best scaling way to solve this?

Tim Pietzcker · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-17 08:58:38Z

1

I think you'd be better off with a dictionary if Class.variable really needs to be a string (for example because it's user input):

strings = { "string": [[arg1, arg2, arg3],[arg1, arg2, arg3]], 
            "string2": [[arg1, arg2, arg3],[arg1, arg2, arg3]] }

Now you can access strings[separateVariable][0].

(In your example, you were trying to access "string"[separateVariable][0] which fails for sufficiently high values of separateVariable).

answered Apr 17, 2012 at 8:58

Tim Pietzcker

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Comments

Abhijit · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-17 08:55:31Z

0

Remove the quote when assigning the string to your Class Variable. Also please refrain from name conflict with implicit types or modules

Class.variable = string1

When you are quoting the variable, its actually considered as a string rather than a variable. So the actual content of the variable is never assigned to your Class variable.

answered Apr 17, 2012 at 8:55

Abhijit

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1 Comment

i am blueseph Over a year ago

i wouldn't be able to do that. that variable is assigned elsewhere and i'd need it to be a string.

Sebastian Blask · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-17 09:01:50Z

0

You can use the builtins globals() or locals() depending on where 'string1' is defined so you'd do:

Class.variable = locals()['string']

answered Apr 17, 2012 at 9:01

Sebastian Blask

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