Wheel of time...

Just read Invasion Of The Dynamic Language Weenies it seems that what goes around, comes around, in that here we have a Java programmer decrying an article on dynamic languages, when years earlier I could read similar articles from C++ adherents about this new Java thing from Sun. java must be cool. Java had its culture. Interminable articles on run-anywhere code and late night drinking (of high strength coffee).

Excuse me while I fetch a lemon - some crocodile tears are called for. ;-)

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again".

Robert Jordan - "The Wheel of Time".

Bash style environment variable expander in Python

At work we have a certain config file that has bash/tcsh style embedded environment variable references of two styles:
${VARNAME}
and
$VARNAME

I thought I would try my hand at a concise python expander for the syntax and came up with:

bash$  python -c '
import sys,os,re
s=sys.stdin.read()
s1 = re.subn(r"\$([a-z_A-Z][A-Za-z_0-9\-]*)", r"%(\1)s", s)[0]
s2 = re.subn(r"\${([^}]+)}", r"%(\1)s", s1)[0]
print s2 % os.environ ' < in_file > expanded_file

Fizz-Buzz.py

I am having to set some extra work at home for my ten year old son. I found information on a game Fizz-Buzz and introduced it to my son, only to find that he had already played a variant at school.

Oh well.

By that time I had already created a python program to check his answers (written in simplistic style as I intend one day to get all of my kids to learn Python).

'''
Fizz-Buzz.py

Fizz-Buzz Game.
Instructions for two players, 3-5 game. (Easiest).

   1. Players take it in turns counting from one to ninety-nine.
      (Don't take too much or too little time between numbers
       - try for a steady pace)
   2. Player must say Fizz-Buzz instead of their number if the number is a
      multiple of three and of five.
   3. Otherwise, player must say Fizz instead of their number if the number
      is a multiple of three.
   4. Otherwise, player must say Buzz instead of their number if the number
      is a multiple of Five. 

Digit version
  Use basic instructions 1-4 as above, then add the following rules:

   5. Otherwise, player must say Fizz for each digit in the number that is
      a three,
      And player must also say Buzz for each digit in the number that is a
      five.
      (for example, say Fizz-one instead of 31, Fizz-two instead of thirty
      two)
   6. Remember, the rules must be applied in order so  thirty three is
      actually Fizz and not Fizz-Fizz as it is first a multiple of three
'''

fizz = 3
buzz = 5
digits_version = True

for tens in (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9):
   for units in (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9):
       number = tens*10 + units
       if number == 0:
           pass
       else:
           print "For", number, "Say",
           if (number % fizz) == 0 and (number % buzz) == 0:
               print "FizzBuzz"
           elif (number % fizz) == 0:
               print "Fizz"
           elif (number % buzz) == 0:
               print "Buzz"
           elif digits_version:
               saytens = tens
               sayunits = units
               digits_as_fizzbuzz = False
               if tens == fizz:
                   saytens = "Fizz"
                   digits_as_fizzbuzz = True
               if units == fizz:
                   sayunits = "Fizz"
                   digits_as_fizzbuzz = True
               if tens == buzz:
                   saytens = "Buzz"
                   digits_as_fizzbuzz = True
               if units == buzz:
                   sayunits = "Buzz"
                   digits_as_fizzbuzz = True
               if digits_as_fizzbuzz:
                   print saytens,sayunits
               else:
                   print number
           else:
               print number