[Zope] List

[Rik Hoekstra]

> > I'm storing a selection of a user to a database as string. This
selection
> > is a multiple selection from a select box and is outputted as a list.
> > Now I want to iterate over this list (after retrieving it from the
> > database), but how can I do this? How can I tell Zope that the string is
> > actually a list? How can I typecast in Zope?

<dtml-call "list(something)">, but that won't work in this case as you'll
get a resultant [something,]

>
> Use a python or external method to make a list from your string.  I am
> supposing you are storing a string representation of the list that looks
> like:
>
> "['fred', 'bob', 'mary']"
>
> Get rid of any punctuation you do not want with (e.g.)
>
> theString = string.replace(theString, '[', ' ')
>
> (Yes, there are more efficient ways to do this!)
>
> Then, once you have a space-delimited list of items, you may use
>
> theList = string.split(theString)
>
> which will make a list of the words in the string.  Return theList.
>

a python/external method is more elegant, but if you want this can be done
in the same way from DTML:

<dtml-call "REQUEST.set(theString, _.string.replace(theString, '[', ' '))">
<dtml-call "REQUEST.set(theList, _.string.split(theString))">

or using dtml-let

But whether all this works depends much on what your database returns.

Rik