Solving split string in python without the use of split() function

Question

Faced an interview question in Python that was as follow?

ex: 
input = (\'192.168.15.1\', \'.\', -1) ===> output = (192, 168, 15, 1)
input = (\'192.168.15         


        

Answer 1

Something like this would work:

def splitter(string_, splitchar, maxsplits):
    # if maxsplits is positive, split string  into maxsplits of parts, on splitchar.
    # Otherwise perform as many splits as the string allows.
    out = []
    sub = []
    for ch in string_:
        if ch != splitchar:
            sub.append(ch)
        else:
            if maxsplits < 1 or (maxsplits > 0 and (len(out) < maxsplits)):
                out.append(''.join(sub))
                sub = []
            else:
                sub.append(ch)
    out.append(''.join(sub))
    return tuple(out)


>>> splitter.splitter('192.168.15.1', '.', -1)
('192', '168', '15', '1')
>>> splitter.splitter('192.168.15.1', '.', 2)
('192', '168', '15.1')
>>> splitter.splitter('192.168.15.1', '.', 0)
('192', '168', '15', '1')
>>> splitter.splitter('192.168.15.1', '.', 1)
('192', '168.15.1')