fsckd

Python Comprehensions

19.6.2009

I haven't posted in a while, so here's a fun fact for the day: Although they probably aren't the best way to do most problems, they sure are cool - Python Comprehensions. When you combine a list comprehension with the reduce() function, the one-liner possibilities are endless. For example, if you need a quick and dirty way to calculate the XOR checksum of something (eg. NMEA 0183 GPS output), create a function such as:

import operator
def checksum(s):
    return reduce(operator.xor, [ord(c) for c in s])

It may not be as universally accepted as unrolling the whole statement, but it does wonders to reduce the overall size of your program - especially if you have tons of simple functions you need to pump out.

While this is less than groundbreaking, perhaps it will serve as an inspiration for a GPS tracking device or something. Sparkfun has some pretty cool GM632 modules that have a built in GPS and run Python.

Also, watch for an update sometime soon about the new pup :)

• Python

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