String and dates separate list

Python
1

Hello all,
I’ve got the file dates_names.txt with the text:

Sabrina Garcia 20 October 1988
Winifred Wood 27 July 1988
Juan Kennedy 4 March 1988
Nina Beck 7 May 1988
Tanya Marshall 22 May 1988
Kelly Gardner 16 August 1988
Cristina Ortega 13 January 1988
Guy Carr 21 June 1988
Geneva Martinez 5 September 1988
Ricardo Howell 23 December 1988
Bernadette Rios 19 July 1988

What I want to do is extract the names into a file names.txt and another dates.txt
I already got the part to extract the dates to file dates.txt
but I can’t see how to approach the other bit which is, extract only the names to to a file names.txt.
this is the messy code

import re

def extract_dates_from_file(input_filename, output_filename):
    """
    Extracts dates from an input file and writes them to an output file.
    """
    dates = []
    date_pattern = r"\b(\d{1,2})\s(January|February|March|April|May|June|July|August|September|October|November|December)\s(\d{4})\b"
    try:
        with open(input_file_name, 'r') as infile:
            for line in infile:
                match = re.search(date_pattern, line, re.IGNORECASE)
                if match:
                    dates.append(match.group(0))
    except FileNotFoundError:
        print(f"Error: Input file '{input_filename}' not found.")
        return

    try:
        with open(output_filename, 'w') as outfile:
            outfile.write("[\n")
            for i, date in enumerate(dates):
                outfile.write(f"    \"{date}\"")
                if i < len(dates) - 1:
                    outfile.write(",")
                outfile.write("\n")
            outfile.write("]")
        print(f"Dates extracted and written to '{output_filename}'.")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"An error occurred writing to the output file: {e}")
        
# start names extract
def extract_names_from_file(input_filename, output_file_names):
    names = []
    names_str = "" #see if needs to check format
    try:
        with open(input_file_name, 'r') as infile:
            for line in infile:
                match = re.search(names_str, line, re.IGNORECASE)
                if match:
                    names.append(match.group(0))
    except FileNotFoundError:
        print(f"Error: input file '{input_filename}' not found")
        return
    
    try:
        with open(output_file_names, 'w') as outfile:
            outfile.write("[\n")
            for i, name in enumerate(names):
                outfile.write(f"  \{name}\"")
                if i <len(names) - 1:
                    outfile.write(",")
                outfile.write("\n")
            outfile.write("]")
        print(f"names extracted and written to '{output_file_names}'.")
    except Exception as b:
        print(f"error writing file '{b}' not found.")


# Example usage:
# read file READ.TXT
input_file_name = "D:/test-folder/python_test/read.txt"  # Now a variable
# create and write in file DATES.txt
output_file_dates = "D:/test-folder/python_test/dates.txt" # Now a variable
#create and write file NAMES.txt
output_file_names = "D:/test-folder/python_test/names.txt"
extract_dates_from_file(input_file_name, output_file_dates)
extract_names_from_file(input_file_name, output_file_names)```
2

My approach would be to use the digits of the day as indicator that the name has finished. You could try to do something with that?

3

That is exactly what I thought but I dont know how to do it.
would it be something like
‘’’ This is just my thought of approach’‘’
write all the characters of one line untill you find one number
‘’’

I was also thinking:
because the dates haave got a pattern which is : “”“number month number”“”
how could I write all the characters before the pattern.
??? :roll_eyes: :face_exhaling:
this is the pattern for the dates

 dates = []
    date_pattern = r"\b(\d{1,2})\s(January|February|March|April|May|June|July|August|September|October|November|December)\s(\d{4})\b"
4

and you need all the other characters from the beginning of the line to that, don’t you? you can use regex to capture the characters from beginning of line to the start of the other pattern if you want to use regex