Python get the x first words in a string

Question

I'm looking for a code that takes the 4 (or 5) first words in a script. I tried this:

import re    
my_string = "the cat and this dog are in the garden"    
a = my_string.split(' ', 1)[0]
b = my_string.split(' ', 1)[1]

But I can't take more than 2 strings:

a = the
b = cat and this dog are in the garden

I would like to have:

a = the
b = cat
c = and
d = this
...

Answer 1

You can use slice notation on the list created by split:

my_string.split()[:4] # first 4 words
my_string.split()[:5] # first 5 words

N.B. these are example commands. You should use one or the other, not both in a row.

Answer 2

The second argument of the split() method is the limit. Don't use it and you will get all words. Use it like this:

my_string = "the cat and this dog are in the garden"    
splitted = my_string.split()

first = splitted[0]
second = splitted[1]

...

Also, don't call split() every time when you want a word, it is expensive. Do it once and then just use the results later, like in my example.
As you can see, there is no need to add the ' ' delimiter since the default delimiter for the split() function (None) matches all whitespace. You can use it however if you don't want to split on Tab for example.

Answer 3

You can split a string on whitespace easily enough, but if your string doesn't happen to have enough words in it, the assignment will fail where the list is empty.

a, b, c, d, e = my_string.split()[:5] # May fail

You'd be better off keeping the list as is instead of assigning each member to an individual name.

words = my_string.split()
at_most_five_words = words[:5] # terrible variable name

That's a terrible variable name, but I used it to illustrate the fact that you're not guaranteed to get five words – you're only guaranteed to get at most five words.