Extracting name as first name last name in python

Question

I have a text file with lines as:

Acosta, Christina, M.D. is a heart doctor

Alissa Russo, M.D. is a heart doctor

is there a way to convert below line:

Acosta, Christina, M.D. is a heart doctor

to

Christina Acosta, M.D. is a heart doctor

Expected Output:

Christina Acosta, M.D. is a heart doctor
Alissa Russo, M.D. is a heart doctor

blhsing · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-02 03:38:14Z

1

You can use the follow regex to group the first and last names and substitute them in reverse order without the comma:

import re
data = '''Acosta, Christina, M.D. is a heart doctor
Alissa Russo, M.D. is a heart doctor'''
print(re.sub(r"([a-z'-]+), ([a-z'-]+)(?=,\s*M.D.)", r'\2 \1', data, flags=re.IGNORECASE))

This outputs:

Christina Acosta, M.D. is a heart doctor
Alissa Russo, M.D. is a heart doctor

answered Aug 2, 2018 at 3:38

blhsing

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2 Comments

Slickmind Over a year ago

Thank you very much

Slickmind Over a year ago

A small correction, just replace M.D. with . because the format is not same everytime in the data which I have print(re.sub(r"([a-z'-]+), ([a-z'-]+)(?=,\s*.)", r'\2 \1', data, flags=re.IGNORECASE))

Han Jinn · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-02 03:39:20Z

0

testline = 'Acosta, Christina, M.D. is a heart doctor'
a = testline.split(',', 1)
b = a[1].split(',',1)
newstring = b[0]+' '+a[0]+','+ b[1]
print newstring

your output should be: Christina Acosta, M.D. is a heart doctor

answered Aug 2, 2018 at 3:39

Han Jinn

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Comments

aaldilai · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-02 03:42:44Z

0

Try this

import re
pattern = "(\w+), (\w+), M.D. is a heart doctor"
my_string = "Acosta, Christina, M.D. is a heart doctor"
re.sub(pattern, r"\2 \1, M.D. is a heart doctor", my_string)

In the pattern we specify two groups, and then we use them in the substituting by referencing them with \1 and \2

answered Aug 2, 2018 at 3:42

aaldilai

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1 Comment

Slickmind Over a year ago

it will fail if it would be "Acosta, Christina, PT is a heart doctor". I appreciate the help. Thanks

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