Comparing a string to multiple items in Python

Question

I\'m trying to compare a string called facility to multiple possible strings to test if it is valid. The valid strings are:

auth, authpriv, daem         


        

Answer 1

If, OTOH, your list of strings is indeed hideously long, use a set:

accepted_strings = {'auth', 'authpriv', 'daemon'}

if facility in accepted_strings:
    do_stuff()

Testing for containment in a set is O(1) on average.