how to replace the characters in strings with '#'s by using regex in Python

Question

How can I replace the contents of strings with #'s in Python? Assume no comments, no multiple lines for one string. Like if there is a line in a python file:

print 'Hello' + "her mom's shirt".

This will be translated into:

print '#####' + "###############".

It's like a filter to deal with every line in a python file.

Answer 1

If you're using Python and the thing you're parsing is Python there's no need to use regexp since there's a built-in parser.

Answer 2

Don't need a regex to replace "I'm superman" with "############"

Try

input = "I'm superman"
print "#" * len(input)

Answer 3

>>> import re
>>> s="The Strings"
>>> s=re.sub("\w","#",s)
>>> s
'### #######'
>>> s='Hello' + "her mom's shirt"
>>> s
"Helloher mom's shirt"
>>> re.sub("\w","#",s)
"######## ###'# #####"

----Edit

OK, Now I understand that you want the output to be from a Python file. Try:

import fileinput
import re 

for line in fileinput.input():
    iter = re.finditer(r'(\'[^\']+\'|"[^"]+")',line)
    for m in iter:
       span = m.span()
       paren = m.group()[0]
       line = line[:span[0]]+paren+'#'*(span[1]-span[0]-2)+paren+line[span[1]:] 
       print line.rstrip()

This does not deal with line breaks, the """ form, and is only tested again 1 or two files I have...

In general, it is better to use a parser for this kind of job.

Best