Controlling the passing of data

[Peter Otten]

Sayth Renshaw wrote:

> In my file here I needed to traverse and modify the XML file I don't want
> to restore it or put it in a new variable or other format I just want to
> alter it and let it flow onto the list comprehensions as they were.

That looks like an arbitrary limitation to me. It's a bit like
"I want to repair my car with this big hammer".

> In particular here I am taking the id from race and putting it into the
> children of each race called nomination.
> 
> I have put a comment above the new code which is causing the difficulty.

Your actual problem is drowned in too much source code. Can you restate it 
in English, optionally with a few small snippets of Python? 

It is not even clear what the code you provide should accomplish once it's 
running as desired.

To give at least one code-related advice: You have a few repetitions of the 
following structure

> meetattrs = ('id', 'venue', 'date', 'rail', 'weather', 'trackcondition')

>     meet = d('meeting')

>     meetdata = [[meet.eq(i).attr(x)
>                  for x in meetattrs] for i in range(len(meet))]

You should move the pieces into a function that works for meetings, clubs, 
races, and so on. Finally (If I am repeating myself so be it): the occurence 
of range(len(something)) in your code is a strong indication that you are 
not using Python the way Guido intended it. Iterate over the `something` 
directly whenever possible.