It's kind of easy - so that stuff you've got there is in a file called dude.inp, for argument's sake -
import datetime filename=file("dude.inp","r") lineList=filename.readlines() filename.close() for line in lineList: #This is the hard bit, formatting your in dates splitLine=line.split(", ") for (item, dat, num, startTime, finishTime) in splitLine: sepStart=startTime.split(":") startHours=sepStart[0] startMin=sepStart[1] startSec=sepStart[2] finishStart= finishTime.split(":") finishHours=sepStart[0] finishMin=sepStart[1] finishSec=sepStart[2] #Now for the easy bit, manipulating the time startObj = datetime.datetime(01, 1, 1, startHours, startMin, startSec) finishObj = datetime.dateime(01, 1, 1, startHours, startMin, startSec) #If you're going to simply have all times start from 00:00, you only want the length #of the time period right? So.... lengthDelta = finishObj - startObj #Python does the time calcs for ya! lengthObj = datetime.datetime(lengthDelta) OK - so, once you've formatted the input to get the hours, mins, and secs, you create a datetime object for each time which is set for that 01/01/1901, at that particular time. Notice the 01, 1, 1, - you can't use 01 01 for the month and day \ a datetime object goes like this - datetime.datetime(year, month, day, hours, minutes, secs) So, you've got the two datetime objects, Python handles the maths, and gives a timedelta object, which you use to create a new datetime object (as a timedelta object can't use strftime) which you can then use to format your time with strftime! Real easy... if there's anything I've messed up, let me know, and I'll clarify it for you ( I coded something similar at home). Or if anything needs expansion upon... Regards, Liam Clarke On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 16:51:31 -0500, kevin parks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I am still working on it and also fixing the input data. I think for > simplicity and consistency's sake i will have *all* time values input > and output as hh:mm:ss maybe that would be easier for now.. so i am > editing the input stuff now... > > so it should all look like: > > Item_1, DAT_1, 1, 00:00:23, 00:08:23 > > Item_2, DAT_1, 2, 00:08:23, 00:09:41 > > Item_3, DAT_1, 3, 00:09:41, 00:10:41 > Item_3, DAT_1, 4, 00:10:47, 00:11:19 > Item_3, DAT_1, 5, 00:11:21, 00:11:55 > Item_3, DAT_1, 6, 00:11:58, 00:12:10 > Item_3, DAT_1, 7, 00:12:15, 00:12:45 > Item_3, DAT_1, 8, 00:12:58, 00:24:20 > > Item_4, DAT_1, 9, 00:24:33 > Item_4, DAT_1, 10, 00:25:48 > Item_4, DAT_1, 11, 00:29:48 > Item_4, DAT_1, 12, 00:31:46 > Item_4, DAT_1, 13, 00:34:17 > Item_4, DAT_1, 14, 00:35:21 > Item_4, DAT_1, 15, 00:36:06 > Item_4, DAT_1, 16, 00:37:01, 00:37:38 > > no comments either i can copy them later... > > this is kind of hard... > > -k > > _______________________________________________ > Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor > -- 'There is only one basic human right, and that is to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, to take the consequences. _______________________________________________ Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor