question re file as sequence

[Byron]

Hi Paul,

Here is how I would do this:
-----------------------------------

	import string
	counter = 0

	f = open("c:\produce.txt", "r")			# Obtain info from produce.txt file.
	produce = f.readlines()					# Store each line of text in a list called 
produce.

	while counter < len(produce):
		if string.strip(produce[counter]) == "Fruit:":		# Evaluate each line 
in produce for a match.
			print produce[counter + 1]					 # If matches, print next line.
		counter = counter + 1							       # Proceed to next item in text file.

-----------------------------------


However, there would be a much simplier way of doing this by changing 
the data source slightly.  See example:

	Vegetable:spinach
	Fruit:banana
	Flower:Daisy
	Fruit:pear


Here's how to parse this information and to find the fruits:

	import string
	f = open("c:\produce.txt", "r")								  # Open the file for reading.

	category = []
	for product in produce:
		product = string.strip(product)							# Remove the carriage return at 
end of line.
		category = category + [string.split(product, ":")]		# Create a list [ 
[category, product], [category, product], [category, product] ] format.

	# Display the items from the list.
	for item in category:
		if item[0] == "Fruit":									     # If category is "Fruit"
			print item[1]										     # then display product from list.


-----------------------------------

Hope this helps!

Byron
---



Paul Rubin wrote:
> I have a file with contents like:
> 
>    Vegetable:
>    spinach
>    Fruit:
>    banana
>    Flower:
>    Daisy
>    Fruit:
>    pear
> 
> I want to print out the names of all the fruits.  Is the following valid?
> 
>    f = open(filename) 
>    for line in f:
>       if line == 'Fruit:\n':
>          print f.readline()
> 
> The issue here is that the sequence has been mutated inside the loop.
> 
> If the above isn't good, anyone have a favorite alternative to doing
> it like that?
> 
> Thanks.