How to count longest sequence of recurring characters in very long string inside text file in Python

Question

Hello my question is how to count the longest sequence of AGATC (meaning AGATCAGATCis sequence of two) in the very long string.

I need to use python. My code for now looks like this:

pattern = re.compile(r'AGATC')
matches = pattern.finditer(text_to_search)
for match in matches:
    agatc += 1

print(agatc)

Number 28 will be printed but I know that 22 is the right answer.

text analyzed here:

GCTAAATTTGTTCAGCCAGATGTAGGCTTACAAATCAAGCTGTCCGCTCGGCACGGCCTACACACGTCGTGTAACTACAACAGCTAGTTAATCTGGATATCACCATGACCGAATCATAGATTTCGCCTTAAGGAGCTTTACCATGGCTTGGGATCCAATACTAAGGGCTCGACCTAGGCGAATGAGTTTCAGGTTGGCAATCAGCAACGCTCGCCATCCGGACGACGGCTTACAGTTAGTAGCATAGTACGCGATTTTCGGGAAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGAATGTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCTATCCCGTCAACTCATTCACACCGCATCCTTTCCTGCCACTGTAACTAGTCGACTGGGGAACCTCATCATCCATACTCTCCCACATTATGCCTCCCAACCTTGTTAAGCGTGGCATGCTTGGGATTGCATTGATGCTTCTTGGAGAGGACGCTTTCGTTTTGGAGATTACAGGGATCCAATTTTATCATCGGTTCGACTCCCGTAACGACTTAGCAGTAAGGGTGCTAGTTCCTGGTTAGAATCTTAATAAATCACGTCGCTTGGAGCAAGACAAAGATCGTCGTAATGCCAAGTGCACGACCACCTTCAGACTTGCAGGACCCGTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTTTTTTTCTCGATAGCTATGCGGTTCAATACAATCTTAACGCAATGCAGCGATGTGGTTTCGTACACTTAGCATAAAACCCCCCACATTAAATCGATGTACCCGCCCTCTTAGACGCCAATTTCAATGCCGAACCTCCGGCGGGTATCTCTGCACTAGGAGAAGTAGCACGTCGCTGTAGCGAACTCCTATCGTGAGATAATTTGTAGAGCTGCTCTTATAATACAATAGCTCAGATGGATTATTCCATGGACATCCCCGTGCGTTGTTTCGAGGATGGTAGGTGGAAATTTTGCCAGACCTCTAGTCTTAAACATGGTTGACGTTATAGGCGCTATCTCTTGCGTCTGGAAGTGTTAATCCGTGAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAAGAAACACGCAACTCTGGAGGAGGGCACTGCACTGCAAACTTGCGTAATATCCTTCACCCACACTTGCCTGGCCTCCTTGCTTAAAGCTCTGGCGATGCGATTTTTCGGCCCAGTAGCTGAATAGGTCATGAAATGGGCACCGAACTGGAAAGACCCATATATTCGATACTCACAACTTAATGATAGCGCGATTAAGAGCGACACCAAAAACCAAATTACGTTCACGAACCTTTGAGAGTCAAGGAGACTTAGACCGAATTGAATGATCACTGATGCGCCCGCTGATACTGAGCCTCACCATTAATCGCCGACCAATACGGCGTGTACCGGGCGCGGCCTTGCCGCATAACGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATAGATATCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTCTGTACACAGCCCCGTCCTCATTGCTAAGTGCACTGGCAACTGGACCTAAAGATTTTTCGAGTATGGCCCTCGAATCAAGCGCCCACCCAGAAACCTACGAGCCAGTAACCCCAGTAAACAAGCATTAGTGCTATATGCTTGCTGCCCACTAGGACCCTTATGGTTCATACCAGGGTGACGTGTCTTGCGGGCCAAGGATGAACCAGAAGCAAGATCCTTAGATGGACGACTGTCTCATTGCTTAAACTCCACATACCAAAGGGCGCGGTAAACGATAGTTTTAGGTAATGTTAGTCGGATGGTTGTCTGCAGCTACCAATACAGCCTGGCACCCAGGGTCTGAACAATAACGCGTGAGAGCAGCTCTCCCGCGTGTGGTGGATTTGCCGTCTATGAAATTGAGGCTCTTGCAACTATTCGCACTCGGAATGCCCTCATATCTGGTGCCTAGCGGCCTTTGCCCCGTGCCGGTAGGACTAAACTCTACGGATCGTTGACGGATCTCGATGTGGAAGATGGTTATGAAAGATAACAACGCGTGTGCTAATTGATTTAGACAAGTATTGCGGCAGTAAAAGATAATCGGCTGCAGAGTTACGAAAGACTTCCATGCATGGATTCCATTCCTTCTAGTATAGGACCCACTCTGAATACACGTCTTGCGGGCCGATCATCTCCACCGCTGCGGAAGAAAGCAATTAAGAATCTATGCTCATTAAGAGTGCGACTATAATGCGGATCTTACAGTGCTAATGATCAGGACGTCGTCCAAGCAGGCTGCATGCCGAATTTAGCTTACGTCAGGATCAGGCGTTATAGCCTGGGAATCGGACTATGAGGACGCCACGACCTCTGGGAGAAAGCTATATACATTGAGGATCGCGCCATCTTTATGAGACTCAAATGAATCTAGATAGGTAGCATTGCGGACTTGAGTTAGCACATCGGTATTGGAAGGTGAGGGTCCTGCCGCTCGTTCTATGTTCGGTTTATAGTATACAAATAGGTCATCCCGAACGTTGAAGTTAAACTCATGACACGTTGTCGTAATGAAACGGGCCTGTTATTAGGGATACAGACAAAAGGCACAAGCTGGCTTGCACATTAAGGCGCACTAGAGATCCTCACAACCGTTGCCCGCACGGAGGTCGTGTCTAACAGACAGTGAACCAGCCGTATTGGGGTGGATGACCTGAGCTTCTTGGGGCCTGTTGTACACCGCGTGTGGTTCAACTGGTACACATACTACGAATATTCGAAATCATTGTACTGTGCTCTTCGGTGCTACTGACTGTGAGCGAATGCATCCCAATCCCAAACAATGCTTGTGGTAGGAGAATTGAAACTCTCGAAGCCTGGCCCAATGTCATCTACTTTTAACATGTCGGGCCAGGAGTTACGGGCATTGCTTACTTACTTTGCCCCCTTACACCACAGCAGCGCGATTCTTGTTGTAGTAGATTTTATACGACTCGCGAATTAAATGGAACTTGTCTGTCCCATATCGATCGTGTCCATCGTAAGATGAGATTGTAGGAGCATTCGGAAGTCTATGCGGCCCAGGGACTACTACGTTAAATCTGGTCAGACGTGGTTTACAAGGCGTCCCGATCTTCTCAGAACATATGGGAAAGCACTACCGTTCCTTCACGCATACAGTTGTTCGTGCCGAACGAGTAAGCTTGCGACCAGCCCACCCGCTAGGGCTATGCAGCGGGTCATGGCTGGCGCCATACTGTGCGGACAACCCACGCTCTGGCAGAAAGCGTCTTGTGTTTTGTAGTAGCTCCAACGGTTAGACCTTCGATATCTATTCAGAGCGCGAGCGACCACTATTAGACGGCATGTAAACAATGTGTATTTGTTCGGCCCAACCGGTATATGGGTAAGACCGCGAAGGGCCTGCGCGAATACCAGCGTCCAAAAATTCCTCACCCGAGATATGCGGTTAGTACCCCTTGGGTAACGGTCCGCTACGGGTAGCGACGCGAGCCGGCCGCATCGGTTGGAGCCGAGTTGTCGGGCAGGCGAGTAACGTGTGCAATTTGATGGGCCCAAGCCTCCGGCACTATCCACCTCATACATCGACAAAAGCACCAAATATGGGGAAAAGCTGAGCGTCGATATGTACATCTACCCAGGAACCGGCCCGAACATTAGGCGGACGTGAATTTCCGACCTAGGTTCGGCTACATTTCTACGATCCAAGCACACGTGAAGGAGGAGGGGTGTTCCGACCGTAAATGAACGAGGTGCGCAGTGACCCGATGGCGTTTAGCGGATAGCCTTCCTATGCCGGCCTATGCTGTATGGTAGTTGGTTGGTGCCTCCAGAGCCACTGCACCCAATCATAGGGTCTACAGCAGCGTACTTATAAAATTGTACGGGTGACCCATATCCATTACGGGTTGCGACCAGTATAGGAGAGTATAACTGCGTGAACTAATGCGTTATGACGCTTCAGAGTTTGCTCGGGCCCGAGTTCTAGGGCTATAATGTGTTAGGGCGCAAGTATGCCAAGCTAAGATGTGGCGTGCACACTAGGAGTTGTGTTCCTCTGCAAGCAGACACGAGCACTCTGGCAGTAGTTTGACCACACCCGGGTATCACTGCTACTCCATTTCGAACAAGCTATTGGAGCGGACAAAATATGCTACTCAAGAGCATTAGTTATAGGTCTACGAGACAGAAGCAGTTACTGAGTCTGAATATTCGATATAAGTAGGCATGGAGGCGGAGCAAAACAACGTCTGCGATCAATCGTGTTGATGACGTATGGCGACTGGAAGGTAAGGACTATGGCCGGACGGAATGATTCATGTTCTGTTCAAAGCTATATTTCGAAGGGGTATATTAGCGGTCCTACACTTGGTTAGCACCCTCCCCCCTCTGGATCCTGCACTAATTCGAGCTGGCCTCCATCGGTATCAGTCCGGAAGCTCCACTCTCTATCGTAGTCCTAATCAACAGGGTGCCAGTTTGCTCACGTGGAAGTTTGAGGCCCTTTGTGCTCCATAGCCAATCACTAACCATGCACGCGCGACCCACTCTACGTCCAGATCGGCTATAATAGTTGCGCCCGGGACTGGCAGAGTAGACATGTAAGCTAGATAGAGCCCCGACATCGGCCAAGAGATCCTACGCTGCTTCCAGATAATGAGAGACATTCTAGCATTAGACATGCAAGTCGGCAGGGACTCCCCTTATCTAGTAATTTCGATGAATTGGTTTTTCGGCTAGCATCTAGTCTAGTCTAGTCTAGTCTAGTCTAGTCTAGTCTAGTCTAGTCTAGTCTAGTCTAGACCATGCCGACCTCATCATAGAAGGAATGCTCTAAACTTAGAGTGCTACTAGGAAAACTATTAATCAATGATCGTCCTGCTTACATAGCTGGACGGCGAAAGTTCTTATACTGCGGAGGTTGCTGACGTAGAGTGCGCTGGGTACAGCGGATAAGTTGATCAGGGTGGGGATAGGGTGGCTCACCGTTTATACTCATATAGATTCCTGGCGTCGACGCTGTGACAGGGTCGAGATCGAGGGGGAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGATCAGCGGAGCGGAGGGAAAATTATCACCAGAGGGTAGGGGCTCGCGACATTCTATTCAATGCATTTCAAGCTACTTACGTATTTCGGCACAGTGACTACTGCCTGCGCGGCAGCCGTAAGGTTTCCCGTCAATAGGTGGCACGTATCATTGATGAAAGTGTCAGCTAATCATTCAGGCCTTA

Answer 1

Your code searches and counts all instances of the substring 'AGATC'. However, you want to find the longest consecutive sequence of repeated instances of AGATC.

Compare the expected and actual result on the following string (I’ve added spaces for clarity):

AGATC TTT AGATC AGATC

Your code will yield the answer “3” — whereas the expected answer is “2”, since the longest repeat of 'AGATC's is two.

There are multiple ways of tackling the problem. If you want to use regular expressions, you can search for non-overlapping repeats:

pattern = re.compile(r'(AGATC)+')

With this, each match will contain the entire match of repeats. You can find the longest one by subtracting each match’s end() from its start(). To get the number of repeats, divide the length of the match by the length of your STR (i.e. len('AGATC')).