Simple and safe evaluator

[bvdp]

Simon Forman wrote:
> On Jun 11, 1:25 pm, bvdp <b... at mellowood.ca> wrote:
>> Is there a simple/safe expression evaluator I can use in a python
>> program. I just want to pass along a string in the form "1 + 44 / 3" or
>> perhaps "1 + (-4.3*5)" and get a numeric result.
>>
>> I can do this with eval() but I really don't want to subject my users to
>> the problems with that method.
>>
>> In this use I don't need python to worry about complex numbers,
>> variables or anything else. Just do the math on a set of values. Would
>> eval() with some restricted list of permitted operators do the trick?
>>
>> I'm feeling too lazy to write/debug my own parser for this :)
>>
>> Thanks, Bob.
> 
> 
> 
> Funny, I need exactly the same kind of parser myself right now.
> Fredrik Lundh has posted some code-and-explanation on an excellent
> simple parser that's easy to extend.  http://effbot.org/zone/simple-iterator-parser.htm
> 
> Just make it recognize the operator tokens you're interested in and if
> a string parsers w/o errors then you know it's safe to eval().
> 
> I probably won't get to writing this myself for a few days or a week,
> but if you do will you post it here (or send me a copy)?  I'll do the
> same if I get to it sooner.
> 
> Regards,
> ~Simon

I'll have to read Fredrik's code a few more times, but I think it makes 
as much sense as anything else. Of course, I could take the lazy man's 
way out and just to a left->right evaluation without any ()s, etc., 
which in my project would work. But, honestly, I thought it'd be easier. 
I was going to use eval() until I realized that it was not a good idea. 
Darn shame we have to work so hard to prevent some jerk's malicious code 
from effecting our stuff. Oh well, that's life.