You could use generator with isdigit() to check wheter your first symbol is digit or not and then return following string with appropriate count. Then you could use join to get your output:
''.join(i[1:]*int(i[0]) if i[0].isdigit() else i for i in l)
Demonstration:
In [70]: [i[1:]*int(i[0]) if i[0].isdigit() else i for i in l ]
Out[70]: ['gg', 'k', 'ppp']
In [71]: ''.join(i[1:]*int(i[0]) if i[0].isdigit() else i for i in l)
Out[71]: 'ggkppp'
EDIT
Using re module when first number is with several digits:
''.join(re.search('(\d+)(\w+)', i).group(2)*int(re.search('(\d+)(\w+)', i).group(1)) if re.search('(\d+)(\w+)', i) else i for i in l)
Example:
In [144]: l = ['12g', '2kd', 'h', '3p']
In [145]: ''.join(re.search('(\d+)(\w+)', i).group(2)*int(re.search('(\d+)(\w+)', i).group(1)) if re.search('(\d+)(\w+)', i) else i for i in l)
Out[145]: 'ggggggggggggkdkdhppp'
EDIT2
For your input like:
st = '%2g_%3k%3p'
You could replace _ with empty string and then add _ to the end if the work from list endswith the _ symbol:
st = '%2g_%3k%3p'
l = list(filter(None, st.split('%')))
''.join((re.search('(\d+)(\w+)', i).group(2)*int(re.search('(\d+)(\w+)', i).group(1))).replace("_", "") + '_' * i.endswith('_') if re.search('(\d+)(\w+)', i) else i for i in l)
Output:
'gg_kkkppp'
EDIT3
Solution without re module but with usual loops working for 2 digits. You could define functions:
def add_str(ind, st):
if not st.endswith('_'):
return st[ind:] * int(st[:ind])
else:
return st[ind:-1] * int(st[:ind]) + '_'
def collect(l):
final_str = ''
for i in l:
if i[0].isdigit():
if i[1].isdigit():
final_str += add_str(2, i)
else:
final_str += add_str(1, i)
else:
final_str += i
return final_str
And then use them as:
l = ['12g_', '3k', '3p']
print(collect(l))
gggggggggggg_kkkppp
%mean, what values for the number are valid, and what values for the "string to print" are valid? For example, what would%234mean? Would it mean "print34twice," or is it invalid since no letter follows, or something else? What about%55a5? Printa5fifty five times, maybe, or print5a5five times, or print5five times and then printa5? There are a ton of cases you haven't specified here.