Python string formatting, include the 0 at the end

Question

I am using Python's string formatting method inside a definition to call some .txt files. One such example is:

def call_files(zcos1,zcos1,sig0):
    a,b = np.loadtxt('/home/xi_'+str(zcos1)+'<zphot'+str(sig0)+'<'+str(zcos2)+'_.dat',unpack=True)

Here str(sig0) is given the call where sig0 == 0.050. However when I do so, instead of taking 0.050, it is rounded off to 0.05 !

How do I make str(sig0) to be 0.050 instead of 0.05 ?

It's not [string formatting](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5082452/python-string-formatting-vs-format) — GingerPlusPlus, Jan 10 '16 at 18:28

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:15

5

>>> "{:.03f}".format(0.05)
'0.050'

You could format the whole path with a single call to str.format() like this:

a, b = np.loadtxt("/home/xi_{}<zphot{:.03f}<{}_.dat".format(zcos1, sig0, zcos2),
                  unpack=True)

or using keyword arguments as Adam Smith suggested below:

a, b = np.loadtxt("/home/xi_{cos1}<zphot{sig0:.03f}<{cos2}_dat".format(
    cos1=zcos1, sig0=sig0, cos2=zcos2), unpack=True)

edited May 23 '17 at 12:15

Community

answered Jan 10 '16 at 18:29

Eugene Yarmash

2

agreed that string formatting is the way to go here. `np.loadtxt("/home/xi_{cos1} – Adam Smith Jan 10 '16 at 18:31
@eugene y: can you please explain further, i.e. as to how I exactly use it in my situation – Srivatsan Jan 10 '16 at 18:32

1 Answers1