Need a function. Any built-in function or module for this?

[Paul Rubin]

"wcc" <wccppp at gmail.com> writes:
> Specify direction[Left/Right/Up/Down] or <Left>:
> 
> And if user type "L" or <ENTER>, the function will return "Left", if
> user type "R", the function will return "Right", etc..

Hmm:

def getchoice(prompt, choices, default):
   """prompt is a format string with a %s where the list of choices
should go, and another %s where the default should go;
choices is a list of choices; default is the default choice"""
   assert default in choices
   prompt %= ('/'.join(choices), default)

   while True:
     c = raw_input (prompt)
     if not c:
         return default
     a = [x for x in choices if x.startswith(c)] 
     if len(a) == 0:
       print 'Please choose one of', '/'.join(choices)
     elif len(a) > 1:
       print 'ambiguous, enter a unique prefix'
     else:
       return a[0]

def test():
   print getchoice('Specify direction %s or <%s>: ',
       ("Left","Lexy","Right","Up","Down"), "Left")

test()