🔒 Need help coding my first grep

[high walrus]

I've been told to code a grep as my next python project but have no clue where to start

[bold cloud]

@high walrus

Python help channel opened

Remember to:

• Ask your Python question, not if you can ask or if there's an expert who can help.
• Show a code sample as text (rather than a screenshot) and the error message, if you've got one.
• Explain what you expect to happen and what actually happens.

:warning: Do not pip install anything that isn't related to your question, especially if asked to over DMs.

Closes after a period of inactivity, or when you send !close.

[wooden oar]

What does grep do?

(i know what grep does, but we're going to talk about it)

[high walrus]

Searches for patterns in files

Or just searches for patterns in general

[wooden oar]

ok, so let's break down some of the pieces of what it has to do.

first it needs to be told what to look for, how does that happen?

[high walrus]

it recieves an input from the user

[wooden oar]

how? Be specific.

[high walrus]

can i tell you using what knowledge i have of the re library?

[wooden oar]

sure, but we're not at re yet, you said it needs to get input from the user.

[high walrus]

okay so

the user tells the grep command what to search through, then it recieves an input of what to search, through a function

[wooden oar]

let's be very specific about the actual UI of this program. What does it look like when a user uses it?

[high walrus]

its a command line

[wooden oar]

ok, and the pattern to search for is specified on the command line.

[high walrus]

yes

like this

$ echo 'hello\nworld' | grep hello

[wooden oar]

do you know how to read things from the command line?

[high walrus]

what do you mean?

[wooden oar]

can you write a grep that simply prints out, You asked me to search for 'hello'?

[high walrus]

i dont know grep at all

i was just told to code a grep in python

[wooden oar]

forget grep. Write a program called xyz. When you run xyz hello, it prints You asked me to search for 'hello'

[high walrus]

okay ill do it quickly

[wooden oar]

wait: we were making a list of things it needs to do.

the first thing is, get the pattern from the command line.

[high walrus]

okay lets do that

how do i do that

[high walrus]

findstr?

[wooden oar]

where did you see the word findstr?

i'm going to need to go

[high walrus]

you use it to search text files on windows

[high walrus]

okay thanks for the help :)

[wooden oar]

you are looking in the wrong places.

who told you to write grep? How are you learning to program?

[bold cloud]

Python help channel closed for inactivity

This help channel has been closed. Feel free to create a new post in #1035199133436354600. To maximize your chances of getting a response, check out this guide on asking good questions.