Python search and replace

Accordion · 02-21-2005, 04:51 PM

I'm trying to use python to do a simple search and replace within STAX (http://staf.sourceforge.net/current/staxug.pdf) My code is:

<script>
myVar = "GrunthosTheFlatulent"

import re
re.sub('u', 'Q', myVar)
</script>

<call function="'STAXUtilLogAndMsg'">
'myVar is now %s' %(myVar)
</call>

I expected to get GrQnthosTheFlatQlent but got GrunthosTheFlatulent instead. Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong? Thanks!

jonaskoelker · 02-22-2005, 07:54 PM

strings are immutable (you can't change them). You have to say myVar = re.sub('u', 'Q', myVar). The difference is that this make myVar refer to a new object (in terms of C, it changes the value of the pointer), whereas mutating methods (such as foo.append(bar)) changes the contents of the object that foo refers to (the object that the pointer points at).

Hope this helps,

Jonas