[Tutor] reading output from a c executable.

[Steve Willoughby]

Ravi Kondamuru wrote:
> I am trying to read a binary log file to extract system counters. These 
> counters will then be used to generate web-based graphs using the 
> chart-director api in python. For extracting the counters I planning to 
> write a program in C to read and give the output as lists for use by 
> chart-director. If possible i would like to do the parsing of data only 
> once in C on the log file and pass the processed output for direct use 
> by python. 

Wait..
Why not have Python read the binary log file itself, parse it and make 
the API calls right there?  Why do you even need the C program?


> 
> I have thought about having to populate a database first but will prefer 
> to avoid having another intermediate datastore (apart from the log file).
> 
> thanks,
> Ravi.
> 
> On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 10:27 AM, Steve Willoughby <steve at alchemy.com 
> <mailto:steve at alchemy.com>> wrote:
> 
>     Ravi Kondamuru wrote:
> 
>         Hi,
>         I am writing a script to read list output from a C executable.
>         How should c program be written so that python can read the
>         output as a list?
>         Any pointers to info on this appreciated.
> 
> 
>     The possibilities are truly wide open on this.  Python can read a
>     variety of standard formats (and of course can have custom code to
>     read anything.  Depending on what the data involved actually are,
>     you need to decide what format works best.
> 
>     A simple approach is to have the C program write simple CSV output,
>     and use Python's csv module to read it.  A more complex solution
>     might be to use XML.  There are approximately 52,495,102 other
>     possibilities available too, so you have lots of room to work out
>     what's best for your  application.  More specific information on
>     what you're trying to accomplish would help narrow it down as well.
> 
>