Apply raw string to function return value

Question

I'm not sure if I've phrased it correctly, but hopefully the example will clear it up:

re.search(fileMask.replace('*','.*?'),fileName):

For the first parameter in the re.search() call, how can I ensure that I will pass the value returned by the fileMask.replace() call as a raw string?

Something to the effect of:

re.search(r'fileMask.replace('*','.*?')',fileName):

..although that won't work because I actually need the fileMask function to be called.

Answer 1

re.search(fileMask.replace('\*','\.\*?').encode('string_escape'), fileName):

Answer 2

There is no such type as "a raw string" -- there are literals (of string types) that are so named, but the objects such literals stand for are string objects -- nothing more, nothing less. For example, literals r'a\b'' (a "raw string literal") and 'a\\b' (a normal string literal) represent exactly the same string value: one of length three, with characters a, backlash, and b, in this order. If you print these objects, both display as a\b; if you print their repr, it's a\\b in both cases.

So, it's hard to understand your question. Could you give examples of some possible values for fileMask and fileName, and the results you expect from the consequent re.search calls?

Also,

I actually need the fileMask function to be called.

That might really be a problem, because there appears to be no function named fileMask, but rather (it would seem) a string thus named. Do you mean "need the method of fileMask to be called"?