Python Challenge 04 Solution

gist: https://gist.github.com/genesislive/5097515

#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: UTF-8 -*-
 
# http://www.pythonchallenge.com/pc/def/linkedlist.php
 
import urllib, re
 
uri = 'http://www.pythonchallenge.com/pc/def/linkedlist.php?nothing=%s'
nothing = '12345' # '8022'
pattern = 'and the next nothing is (\d+)'
 
while True:
    try:
        content = urllib.urlopen(uri % nothing).read()
        print content
        nothing = re.search(pattern, content).group(1)
        # print nothing
    except AttributeError:
        # AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'group'
        
        # if you see 'Yes. Divide by two and keep going.', just div
        # the latest nothing by 2 and try again.
        
        break
 
print nothing