Python: Split a mixed String

Question

I read some lines from a file in the following form:

line = a   b  c  d,e,f    g   h  i,j,k,l   m   n

What I want is lines without the ","-separated elements, e.g.,

a   b  c  d    g   h  i   m   n 
a   b  c  d    g   h  j   m   n
a   b  c  d    g   h  k   m   n
a   b  c  d    g   h  l   m   n
a   b  c  e    g   h  i   m   n
a   b  c  e    g   h  j   m   n
a   b  c  e    g   h  k   m   n
a   b  c  e    g   h  l   m   n
.   .  .  .    .   .  .   .   .
.   .  .  .    .   .  .   .   .

First I would split line

sline = line.split()

Now I would iterate over sline and look for elements that can be splited with "," as separator. The Problem is I don't know always how much from those elements I have to expect. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Using regex, itertools.product and some string formatting:

This solution preserves the initial spacing as well.

>>> import re
>>> from itertools import product
>>> line = 'a   b  c  d,e,f    g   h  i,j,k,l   m   n'
>>> items = [x[0].split(',') for x in re.findall(r'((\w+,)+\w)',line)]
>>> strs = re.sub(r'((\w+,)+\w+)','{}',line)
>>> for prod in product(*items):
...     print (strs.format(*prod))
...     
a   b  c  d    g   h  i   m   n
a   b  c  d    g   h  j   m   n
a   b  c  d    g   h  k   m   n
a   b  c  d    g   h  l   m   n
a   b  c  e    g   h  i   m   n
a   b  c  e    g   h  j   m   n
a   b  c  e    g   h  k   m   n
a   b  c  e    g   h  l   m   n
a   b  c  f    g   h  i   m   n
a   b  c  f    g   h  j   m   n
a   b  c  f    g   h  k   m   n
a   b  c  f    g   h  l   m   n

Another example:

>>> line = 'a   b  c  d,e,f    g   h  i,j,k,l   m   n q,w,e,r  f o   o'
>>> items = [x[0].split(',') for x in re.findall(r'((\w+,)+\w)',line)]
>>> strs = re.sub(r'((\w+,)+\w+)','{}',line)
for prod in product(*items):
    print (strs.format(*prod))
...     
a   b  c  d    g   h  i   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  i   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  i   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  i   m   n r  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  j   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  j   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  j   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  j   m   n r  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  k   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  k   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  k   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  k   m   n r  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  l   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  l   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  l   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  d    g   h  l   m   n r  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  i   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  i   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  i   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  i   m   n r  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  j   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  j   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  j   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  j   m   n r  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  k   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  k   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  k   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  k   m   n r  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  l   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  l   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  l   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  e    g   h  l   m   n r  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  i   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  i   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  i   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  i   m   n r  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  j   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  j   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  j   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  j   m   n r  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  k   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  k   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  k   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  k   m   n r  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  l   m   n q  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  l   m   n w  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  l   m   n e  f o   o
a   b  c  f    g   h  l   m   n r  f o   o