Can you have variables within triple quotes? If so, how?
Question:
This is probably a very simple question for some, but it has me stumped. Can you use variables within python’s triple-quotes?
In the following example, how do use variables in the text:
wash_clothes = 'tuesdays'
clean_dishes = 'never'
mystring =""" I like to wash clothes on %wash_clothes
I like to clean dishes %clean_dishes
"""
print(mystring)
I would like it to result in:
I like to wash clothes on tuesdays
I like to clean dishes never
If not what is the best way to handle large chunks of text where you need a couple variables, and there is a ton of text and special characters?
Answers:
One of the ways in Python 2 :
>>> mystring =""" I like to wash clothes on %s
... I like to clean dishes %s
... """
>>> wash_clothes = 'tuesdays'
>>> clean_dishes = 'never'
>>>
>>> print mystring % (wash_clothes, clean_dishes)
I like to wash clothes on tuesdays
I like to clean dishes never
Also look at string formatting
Yes. I believe this will work.
do_stuff = "Tuesday"
mystring = """I like to do stuff on %(tue)s""" % {'tue': do_stuff}
EDIT: forgot an ‘s’ in the format specifier.
The preferred way of doing this is using str.format() rather than the method using %:
This method of string formatting is the new standard in Python 3.0, and should be preferred to the % formatting described in String Formatting Operations in new code.
Example:
wash_clothes = 'tuesdays'
clean_dishes = 'never'
mystring =""" I like to wash clothes on {0}
I like to clean dishes {1}
"""
print mystring.format(wash_clothes, clean_dishes)
I think the simplest way is str.format() as others have said.
However, I thought I’d mention that Python has a string.Template class starting in Python2.4.
Here’s an example from the docs.
>>> from string import Template
>>> s = Template('$who likes $what')
>>> s.substitute(who='tim', what='kung pao')
'tim likes kung pao'
One of the reasons I like this is the use of a mapping instead of positional arguments.
Also note that you don’t need the intermediate variable:
name = "Alain"
print """
Hello %s
""" % (name)
Yes! Starting from Python 3.6 you can use the f strings for this: They’re interpolated in place, so mystring would have the desired value after the mystring = ... line:
wash_clothes = 'tuesdays'
clean_dishes = 'never'
mystring = f"""I like to wash clothes on {wash_clothes}
I like to clean dishes {clean_dishes}
"""
print(mystring)
Should you need to add a literal { or } in the string, you would just double it:
if use_squiggly:
kind = 'squiggly'
else:
kind = 'curly'
print(f"""The {kind} brackets are:
- '{{', or the left {kind} bracket
- '}}', or the right {kind} bracket
""")
would print, depending on the value of use_squiggly, either
The squiggly brackets are:
- '{', or the left squiggly bracket
- '}', or the right squiggly bracket
or
The curly brackets are:
- '{', or the left curly bracket
- '}', or the right curly bracket
Pass multiple args in simple way
wash_clothes = 'tuesdays'
clean_dishes = 'never'
a=""" I like to wash clothes on %s I like to clean dishes %s"""%(wash_clothes,clean_dishes)
print(a)
This is probably a very simple question for some, but it has me stumped. Can you use variables within python’s triple-quotes?
In the following example, how do use variables in the text:
wash_clothes = 'tuesdays'
clean_dishes = 'never'
mystring =""" I like to wash clothes on %wash_clothes
I like to clean dishes %clean_dishes
"""
print(mystring)
I would like it to result in:
I like to wash clothes on tuesdays
I like to clean dishes never
If not what is the best way to handle large chunks of text where you need a couple variables, and there is a ton of text and special characters?
One of the ways in Python 2 :
>>> mystring =""" I like to wash clothes on %s
... I like to clean dishes %s
... """
>>> wash_clothes = 'tuesdays'
>>> clean_dishes = 'never'
>>>
>>> print mystring % (wash_clothes, clean_dishes)
I like to wash clothes on tuesdays
I like to clean dishes never
Also look at string formatting
Yes. I believe this will work.
do_stuff = "Tuesday"
mystring = """I like to do stuff on %(tue)s""" % {'tue': do_stuff}
EDIT: forgot an ‘s’ in the format specifier.
The preferred way of doing this is using str.format() rather than the method using %:
This method of string formatting is the new standard in Python 3.0, and should be preferred to the
%formatting described in String Formatting Operations in new code.
Example:
wash_clothes = 'tuesdays'
clean_dishes = 'never'
mystring =""" I like to wash clothes on {0}
I like to clean dishes {1}
"""
print mystring.format(wash_clothes, clean_dishes)
I think the simplest way is str.format() as others have said.
However, I thought I’d mention that Python has a string.Template class starting in Python2.4.
Here’s an example from the docs.
>>> from string import Template
>>> s = Template('$who likes $what')
>>> s.substitute(who='tim', what='kung pao')
'tim likes kung pao'
One of the reasons I like this is the use of a mapping instead of positional arguments.
Also note that you don’t need the intermediate variable:
name = "Alain"
print """
Hello %s
""" % (name)
Yes! Starting from Python 3.6 you can use the f strings for this: They’re interpolated in place, so mystring would have the desired value after the mystring = ... line:
wash_clothes = 'tuesdays'
clean_dishes = 'never'
mystring = f"""I like to wash clothes on {wash_clothes}
I like to clean dishes {clean_dishes}
"""
print(mystring)
Should you need to add a literal { or } in the string, you would just double it:
if use_squiggly:
kind = 'squiggly'
else:
kind = 'curly'
print(f"""The {kind} brackets are:
- '{{', or the left {kind} bracket
- '}}', or the right {kind} bracket
""")
would print, depending on the value of use_squiggly, either
The squiggly brackets are:
- '{', or the left squiggly bracket
- '}', or the right squiggly bracket
or
The curly brackets are:
- '{', or the left curly bracket
- '}', or the right curly bracket
Pass multiple args in simple way
wash_clothes = 'tuesdays'
clean_dishes = 'never'
a=""" I like to wash clothes on %s I like to clean dishes %s"""%(wash_clothes,clean_dishes)
print(a)