Search & Replace

[Tim Chase]

> Below is my attempt at it, but this code appends
> a copy of the text file within itself 4 times.
> Can someone help me out.
[snip]
> file = open("text.txt", "w")
> file.write(text.replace("Left_RefAddr", "FromLeft"))
> file.write(text.replace("Left_NonRefAddr", "ToLeft"))
> file.write(text.replace("Right_RefAddr", "FromRight"))
> file.write(text.replace("Right_NonRefAddr", "ToRight"))
> file.close()


Well, as you can see, you're writing (write()) the text 4 times.

Looks like you want something like

file.write(text.replace("Left_RefAddr", 
"FromLeft").replace("Left_NonRefAddr", 
"ToLeft").replace("Right_RefAddr", 
"FromRight").replace("Right_NonRefAddr", "ToRight"))


which is about the equiv. of

text = text.replace(...1...)
text = text.replace(...2...)
text = text.replace(...3...)
text = text.replace(...4...)
file.write(text)

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that it's generally 
considered bad form to use the variable-name "file", as it 
shadows the builtin "file".

There are additional ways if replacements cause problems that 
then themselves get replaced, and this is an undesired behavior. 
  However, it looks like your example doesn't have this problem, 
so the matter is moot.

-tkc