Splitting strings in Python using specific characters

Question

I'm trying to split an inputted document at specific characters. I need to split them at [ and ] but I'm having a difficult time figuring this out.

def main():
for x in docread:
    words = x.split('[]')
    for word in words:
        doclist.append(word)

this is the part of the code that splits them into my list. However, it is returning each line of the document.

For example, I want to convert

['I need to [go out] to lunch', 'and eat [some food].']

to

['I need to', 'go out', 'to lunch and eat', 'some food', '.']

Thanks!

Can you give a sample line that you're using as input?

Mahmoud Abdelkader
– Mahmoud Abdelkader

2011-11-20 18:33:23 +00:00
Commented Nov 20, 2011 at 18:33 — Mahmoud Abdelkader
– Mahmoud Abdelkader, Commented Nov 20, 2011 at 18:33

Greg Hewgill · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-20 18:34:41Z

11

You could try using re.split() instead:

>>> import re
>>> re.split(r"[\[\]]", "I need to [go out] to lunch")
['I need to ', 'go out', ' to lunch']

The odd-looking regular expression [\[\]] is a character class that means split on either [ or ]. The internal \[ and \] must be backslash-escaped because they use the same characters as the [ and ] to surround the character class.

answered Nov 20, 2011 at 18:34

Greg Hewgill

1.0m192 gold badges1.2k silver badges1.3k bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

Sven Marnach · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-20 18:58:36Z

2

str.split() splits at the exact string you pass to it, not at any of its characters. Passing "[]" would split at occurrences of [], but not at individual brackets. Possible solutions are

splitting twice:

words = [z for y in x.split("[") for z in y.split("]")]

using re.split().

edited Nov 20, 2011 at 18:58

answered Nov 20, 2011 at 18:35

Sven Marnach

608k123 gold badges966 silver badges865 bronze badges

1 Comment

user1044868 Over a year ago

the first one worked but is there a way to keep the brackets as well?

dMb · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-20 18:38:03Z

1

string.split(s), the one you are using, treats the entire content of 's' as a separator. In other words, you input should've looked like "[]'I need to []go out[] to lunch', 'and eat []some food[].'[]" for it to give you the results you want.

You need to use split(s) from the re module, which will treat s as a regex

import re

def main():
for x in docread:
    words = re.split('[]', x)
    for word in words:
        doclist.append(word)

answered Nov 20, 2011 at 18:38

dMb

9,3973 gold badges50 silver badges66 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Splitting strings in Python using specific characters

3 Answers 3

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

3 Answers 3

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related