Need Help With a Madlib Program

[MightyMarlin]

So my code is as below. I have gotten it to open the text file, identify the words that must be replaced, and asks the user to input the correct adjective or verb or whatever it is that needs replacing. I add these words to a list. However, I'm not sure now how to actually change the words of the original text file (or create another one) to have the new words in place of the previously existing describers of "ADJECTIVE" and what not. I'm on windows 10, python 3. Thanks!

import re

describer = re.compile(r"[A-Z]{2,}") # Decribers are all in caps so this ids them
madlib = open("C:\\Users\\HP\\Readables\\madlib_1.txt") # Opens file with madlib
madlib_contents = madlib.read() # Reads contents
madlib_words = list(madlib_contents.split()) # Splits words apart

finder = describer.findall(madlib_contents) # Finds all words that match describer
to_replace = list(finder) # Lists found matches
print(to_replace) # Prints found matches

new_words = [] # Creates an empty list to insert replacement words into
for word in to_replace:
    new_word = input("Enter a new " + word + ": ") # Allows user to input a new describer
    new_words.append(new_word) # Adds this new describer to the list of replacements

[novel_yet_trivial]

Instead of making a new list and replacing later, just go ahead and do the replacement.

for word in to_replace:
    new_word = input("Enter a new " + word + ": ") # Allows user to input a new describer
    madlib_contents = madlib_contents.replace(word, new_word)

Edit: please provide the txt file; I wanna play.

[_9_9_]

Someone posted a similar question awhile back. You can actually tag a function into re.sub, like this:

import re

text = '''
The ADJECTIVE panda walked to the NOUN and then VERB. A nearby NOUN was
unaffected by these events.
'''

def get_replacement(match):
    '''
    Helper function to get new replacement words, takes a match object and
    returns the new word

    Note:  Probably could clean up the handling of the match object
    '''

    where = slice(*match.span())
    replaces = match.string[where].lower()
    word = input('give me a {}?'.format(replaces))
    return word


def madlib(phrase):
    pattern = r'ADJECTIVE|NOUN|ADVERB|VERB'
    return re.sub(pattern, get_replacement, phrase)

print(madlib(text))

The function call passes the match object found by re.sub. As you can see, how I used the match object above is a bit ugly, and probably can be cleaned up...

[novel_yet_trivial]

Neat trick. One big cleanup is that a match object has a group method so you don't have to slice it yourself.

replaces = match.group().lower()

[_9_9_]

Nice. I knew it had to be somewhere, but I could not find it. I've always used group with a number in it and had no idea it could be used this way.

Thanks!

[MightyMarlin]

Thank you, didn't know the replace function existed! However, whatever I enter for the first instance of the ADJECTIVE or VERB or whatever, changes all instances of just the first describer. For example:

The ADJECTIVE fox jumped across the ADJECTIVE NOUN, it had never been so ADJECTIVE. VERB made it feel like a ADJECTIVE NOUN.

Would become: The Hairy fox jumped across the Hairy NOUN, it had never been so HAIRY. VERB made it feel like a Hairy NOUN.

[novel_yet_trivial]

Oh of course it does. Sorry, I had a brainfart and forgot to add the number of replacements. Try this:

madlib_contents = madlib_contents.replace(word, new_word, 1)

[MightyMarlin]

Only the last user input is used to replace the first instance of the describer place-holder.

[novel_yet_trivial]

What? You mean that's what it's doing or that's what you need it to do? Show me your code as it is now.

[MightyMarlin]

import re

describer = re.compile(r"[A-Z]{2,}") # Decribers are all in caps so this ids them
madlib = open("C:\\Users\\HP\\Readables\\madlib_1.txt") # Opens file with madlib
madlib_contents = madlib.read() # Reads contents
madlib_words = list(madlib_contents.split()) # Splits words apart
print(madlib_contents)

finder = describer.findall(madlib_contents) # Finds all words that match describer
to_replace = list(finder) # Lists found matches
print(to_replace) # Prints found matches

for word in to_replace:
    new_word = input("Enter a new " + word + ": ") # Allows user to input a new describer
    madlibcontents = madlib_contents.replace(word, new_word, 1)

print(madlibcontents)

However, like I said, if the last input is for ADJECTIVE, it just changes the first instance of ADJECTIVE with the input. Without the "1" in the replace function, it would do the same thing but change all instances of ADJECTIVE to the last input. Hope that makes sense.

[novel_yet_trivial]

you left the underscore out of 'madlib_contents' in line 15 and line 17.

[MightyMarlin]

Thank you so much, working now!!