Python IndexError On Conditional Statement

Question

If I test the "empty" condition of the following, I get an IndexError that states the string index is out of range. Why is that? I want the script to print "empty" if the user input is empty.

pyg = 'ay'

original = raw_input('Enter a word:')
word = original.lower()
first = word[0]

if len(original) > 0 and original.isalpha():
    if first in 'aeiou':
        print "vowel"
        new_word = original + pyg
        print new_word
    else:
        new_word = word[1:len(original)] + first + pyg
        print new_word
else:
    print "empty"

DSM · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-26 20:29:50Z

1

first = word[0]

is failing; if word is empty, there is no zeroth character. You can replace this by

first = word[:1]

But since it's only used inside the if len(original) > 0 and original.isalpha(): branch, it'd be better to move it inside instead and leave it as first = word[0].

BTW, instead of if len(original) > 0), you can simply write if original -- nonempty strings are truelike.

answered Nov 26, 2013 at 20:29

DSM

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3 Comments

mgilson Over a year ago

Actually, you could get rid of that test all together... ''.isalpha() returns False :) -- But, I suppose that doesn't make the point about good style for sequence truthfulness checking ...

DSM Over a year ago

@mgilson: oy, good call! I can never remember what functions in which languages return vacuously true and which ones don't. :^)

THE DOCTOR Over a year ago

I learned several things from your answer in addition to what I was asking about. Thanks!

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