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pythonlistunpack

python: unpacking a string to a list


The answer to a question on multiple-value elements in a config file (which exactly fits my needs) suggests to "unpack the string from the config". I read the doc for unpacking arguments lists suggested in several places but I fail to understand how this relates to my problem.

I am sure this must be obvious: having a string str = "123,456", how can I transform it into the list [123,456] (the number of elements separated by a comma in the string may vary)

Thank you.


Solution

  • Do you want a list of strings or a list of ints?

    If you just want a list of strings, it's very simple:

    my_list = my_string.split(',')
    

    If you want to convert these to ints, you need:

    my_list = map(int, my_string.split(','))
    

    (Also, don't use str as a variable name as it shadows the built-in str() function.)