retrieve item from nested list given index tuple

[Dave Angel]

Colin J. Williams wrote:
> <div class="moz-text-flowed" style="font-family: -moz-fixed">Steven 
> D'Aprano wrote:
>> On Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:54:54 +0000, Alan G Isaac wrote:
>>
>>> `lst` is a nested list
>>>
>>> `tpl` is the indexes for an item in the list
>>
>>> What is the nice way to retrieve the item? (Speedy access is nice.)
>>
>> Assuming you want to do this frequently, write a helper function, 
>> then use it:
>>
>> # Untested
>> def extract(nested, indexes):
>>     for index in indexes:
>>         nested = nested[index]
>>     return nested
>
> This looks OK for the first level of nesting.  We are not told much 
> about tpl but suppose that:
>
> lst= [a, [b, [c, d]], [e, f]] and that we wish to retrieve d and f 
> from lst. tpl would need to be something like [[1, 1, 1], [2, 1]].
>
> If that is the requirement, then Untested is only a step along the 
> road, extract could be made recursive.
>
> Colin W.
> <snip>

You missed the point:   he's retrieving *an*  item from a list that's 
nested arbitrarily.  Each item in the tpl (tuple) is a simple integer.


DaveA