RE function

[baronmontesqieu]

---

ok so now I have the following code, but the output is a set of brackets.

import re
str = open('directory', 'r').read()
pattern = re.findall('\d+(M)\d+(N)\d+(M)', 'filename')
print pattern

output

[]

[ichabod801]

First, str is a reserved word. Don't use it as a variable name. Second, the variable should be the second part in findall. 'filename' is a string. It has no connection to anything else. When you are putting it in findall, you are searching the literal text 'filename', not any file you've opened. You want something more like:

import re
text = open('directory').read()
results = re.findall('\d+(M)\d+(N)\d+(M)', text)
print results

[baronmontesqieu]

Oh I got my answer. Thank you.