Best strategy for finding a pattern in a sequence of integers

[Gerard flanagan]

Slaunger wrote:
> Hi Gerard,
> This definitely looks like a path to walk along, and I think your code
> does the trick, although I have to play a little around with the
> groupby method, of which I had no prior knowledge. I think I will
> write some unit test cases to stress test you concept (on Monday, when
> I am back at work).

Yes, it would need plenty of testing - it will not handle the presence 
of other integers for example. It's a 'quickie' solution of course, but 
if the data is as regular as you say, then it may be good enough.

> I appreciate your almost full implementation - it
> would have sufficed to point me to the itertools module, and then I
> think I would have figured out.

Apologies. I was in two minds whether to post actual code, but I thought 
  that you could spend a lot of time on a more low-level solution when a 
'batteries-included' method would suffice. But, at least you are now 
aware of itertools - lot's of goodness there, groupby in particular is 
always my first thought for any kind of data-partitioning problem.

regards

Gerard