slow loop?

[Brandon Beck]

Seems like you're trying to write a CSV parser.  If so, I strongly 
suggest you get the Object Craft CSV module.  It handles all of the 
oddities of CSV for you, and it's written in C so it's quite fast.  It's 
also distributed with source, so you can compile it on any platform you 
may need it for.  I've used it before and it's extremely easy.

http://www.object-craft.com.au/projects/csv/

Hope this helps,
Brandon


Brian Kranson wrote:
> Is there a way I can make this small script any faster?  The file it
> reads in used to be only about a 100 lines and now it is well over
> 2000.  It takes about 14 seconds to run it on my PentiumII.  Thanks in
> advance - Bk
> 
> import time
> startTime=time.time()
> myList=[]
> finalList=[]
> myString=''
> file=open('Export.txt','r')
> lines=file.readlines()
> for line in lines:
>         for character in line:
>                 if character == '"':
>                         None
>                 elif character == ',' or character == '\n':
>                         myList.append(myString)
>                         myString=''
>                 else:
>                         myString += character
>         finalList.append(myList)
>         myList=[]
> endTime=time.time()
> print endTime-startTime
> 
> 
> Here are two lines from Export.txt (the first line ends with "NONE" -
> google and/or your browser might add some extra end of line
> characthers - this sample Export.txt should only have two lines)
> 
> "IDNUMBER","VRNUMBER","LASTNAME","FIRSTNAME","MAILNAME","SALUTATION","ADDRESS1","ADDRESS2","ADDRESS3","CITY","STATE","ZIP","COUNTY","CONGRESS","SENATEDIST","HOUSEDIST","RECSTATUS","REGISTER","CARRT","HPHONE","WPHONE","FPHONE","APHONE","EMPLOYER","OCCUPATION","BIRTHDATE","CONSTITUENTTYPE","ORIGIN","AFFILIATION","SEX","PRECINCT","HOMESOUND","UPDATEDATE","FAMILY","CONTEXIST","EXPEXIST","VOTEEXIST","N
> TEEXIST","VOLEXIST","VIPEXIST","CASEEXIST","REMIND","BILLEXIST","WFAX_PHONE","CAR_PHONE","E_MAIL","PAGER","MAIL_WHERE","CONTACT","AWARD_TYPE","AWARD_DATE","ELIGIBLE","JOIN_DATE","PAY_GRP","PAY_AMOUNT","WADDRESS1","WADDRESS2","WADDRESS3","WCITY","WSTATE","WZIP","WCARRT","MADDRESS1","MADDRESS2","MADDRESS3","MCITY","MSTATE","MZIP","MCARRT","DADDRESS1","DADDRESS2","DADDRESS3","DCITY","DSTATE","DZIP","
> CARRT","HOUSEHOLDMAILNAME","HOUSEHOLDSALUTATION","TOTALCONTRIBUTIONS","LARGESTCONTRIBUTION","AVERAGECONTRIBUTION","LASTCONTRIBUTION","LASTCONTRIBUTIONDATE","YEAR1TOTAL","YEAR2TOTAL","CONTRIBUTIONSYEAR1","CONTRIBUTIONSYEAR2","NONE"
> "63","","Last","First","Ms. First L. Last","Sal","220 Street
> Blvd.","","","Oregon","OH","43616","Lucas","9","","","1","  /  /   
> ","","","","","","","","12/30/1899","Individual","","","Female","","HOME","07/13/1999","","Y","","","","","","","","","","","","","H","","","
>  /  /    ","","  /  /    ","","0","220 Street
> Blvd.","","","Oregon","OH","43616","","220 Street
> Blvd.","","","Oregon","OH","43616","","220 Street
> Blvd.","","","Oregon","OH","43616-","","Ms. Frist L.
> Last","First","25.00","25.00","25.00","25.00","01/06/1999","0.00","0.00","0","0","none"