Python tricks

[RajNewbie]

On Jan 12, 6:51 pm, Tim Chase <python.l... at tim.thechases.com> wrote:
> >    My code has a lot of while loops of the following format:
> >    while True:
> >      ...
> >      if <condition>: break
>
> >    The danger with such a code is that it might go to an infinite loop
> > - if the <condition> never occurs.
> >    Is there a way - a python trick - to have a check such that if the
> > loop goes for more than x number of steps, it will cause an exception?
>
> >    I do understand that we can use the code like -
> >    i = 0
> >    while True:
> >      i++
> >      if i > 200: raise infinite_Loop_Exception
> >      ...
> >      if <condition>: break
>
> >    But I am not very happy with this code for 3 reasons
> >    1. Verbosity (i=0 and i++) which doesnt add to the logic
> >    2. The loop now has dual focus. - incrementing i, etc.
> >    3. <most important>   A person looks into the code and thinks 'i'
> > has special significance. His/her mind will be focused on not the
> > actual reason for the loop.
>
> My first thought would be to simply not use "while True":
>
>    INFINITE_LOOP_COUNT = 200
>    for _ in xrange(INFINITE_LOOP_COUNT):
>      do_something()
>      if <condition>: break
>    else:
>      raise InfiniteLoopException
>
> >    The solution that I had in mind is:
> >    while True:
> >      ...
> >      if <condition>: break
> >      if inifinte_loop(): raise infiinte_loop_exception
>
> >   Wherein infinite_loop is a generator, which returns true if i > 200
> >   def infinite_loop():
> >      i = 0
> >      while i < 200:
> >          i++
> >          yield False
> >      yield True
>
> > Could somebody let me know whether this is a good option?
>
> To do this, you'd need to do the same sort of thing as you do
> with your i/i++ variable:
>
>    i = infinite_loop()
>    while True:
>      ...
>      if <condition>: break
>      if i.next(): raise InfiniteLoopException
>
> which doesn't gain much, and makes it a whole lot more confusing.
>
> > Could someone chip in with other suggestions?
>
> As an aside:  the phrase is "chime in"[1] (to volunteer
> suggestions) "Chip in"[2] usually involves contributing money to
> a common fund ("care to chip in $10 for Sally's wedding gift from
> the office?"  where the pool of money would then be used to buy
> one large/expensive gift for Sally)
>
> -tkc
>
> [1]http://www.thefreedictionary.com/chime+in
>
> [2]http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic1768.html

Thank you very much Tim.
I agree on all counts - esp the fact that my suggestion is very
confusing + (chime in part too :) ).
But, I still feel it would be much more aesthetically pleasing if I
can call a single procedure like
if infinite_loop() -> to do the same.
Is it somehow possible? - say by using static variables, iterators --
anything?