Evaluating a mathematical expression in a string

Question

stringExp = \"2^4\"
intVal = int(stringExp)      # Expected value: 16

This returns the following error:

Traceback (most recent call         


        

Answer 1

Here's my solution to the problem without using eval. Works with Python2 and Python3. It doesn't work with negative numbers.

$ python -m pytest test.py

test.py

from solution import Solutions

class SolutionsTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
    def setUp(self):
        self.solutions = Solutions()

    def test_evaluate(self):
        expressions = [
            '2+3=5',
            '6+4/2*2=10',
            '3+2.45/8=3.30625',
            '3**3*3/3+3=30',
            '2^4=6'
        ]
        results = [x.split('=')[1] for x in expressions]
        for e in range(len(expressions)):
            if '.' in results[e]:
                results[e] = float(results[e])
            else:
                results[e] = int(results[e])
            self.assertEqual(
                results[e],
                self.solutions.evaluate(expressions[e])
            )

solution.py

class Solutions(object):
    def evaluate(self, exp):
        def format(res):
            if '.' in res:
                try:
                    res = float(res)
                except ValueError:
                    pass
            else:
                try:
                    res = int(res)
                except ValueError:
                    pass
            return res
        def splitter(item, op):
            mul = item.split(op)
            if len(mul) == 2:
                for x in ['^', '*', '/', '+', '-']:
                    if x in mul[0]:
                        mul = [mul[0].split(x)[1], mul[1]]
                    if x in mul[1]:
                        mul = [mul[0], mul[1].split(x)[0]]
            elif len(mul) > 2:
                pass
            else:
                pass
            for x in range(len(mul)):
                mul[x] = format(mul[x])
            return mul
        exp = exp.replace(' ', '')
        if '=' in exp:
            res = exp.split('=')[1]
            res = format(res)
            exp = exp.replace('=%s' % res, '')
        while '^' in exp:
            if '^' in exp:
                itm = splitter(exp, '^')
                res = itm[0] ^ itm[1]
                exp = exp.replace('%s^%s' % (str(itm[0]), str(itm[1])), str(res))
        while '**' in exp:
            if '**' in exp:
                itm = splitter(exp, '**')
                res = itm[0] ** itm[1]
                exp = exp.replace('%s**%s' % (str(itm[0]), str(itm[1])), str(res))
        while '/' in exp:
            if '/' in exp:
                itm = splitter(exp, '/')
                res = itm[0] / itm[1]
                exp = exp.replace('%s/%s' % (str(itm[0]), str(itm[1])), str(res))
        while '*' in exp:
            if '*' in exp:
                itm = splitter(exp, '*')
                res = itm[0] * itm[1]
                exp = exp.replace('%s*%s' % (str(itm[0]), str(itm[1])), str(res))
        while '+' in exp:
            if '+' in exp:
                itm = splitter(exp, '+')
                res = itm[0] + itm[1]
                exp = exp.replace('%s+%s' % (str(itm[0]), str(itm[1])), str(res))
        while '-' in exp:
            if '-' in exp:
                itm = splitter(exp, '-')
                res = itm[0] - itm[1]
                exp = exp.replace('%s-%s' % (str(itm[0]), str(itm[1])), str(res))

        return format(exp)