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Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values?
python-list at python
Feb 16, 2024, 2:12 PM
Post #1 of 16 (282 views)
Permalink
I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'. This would
then make it much easier to handle outputting values from sensors when
not all sensors are present.

So, for example, my battery monitoring program outputs:-

Battery Voltages and Currents
Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
Starter Battery - 12.34 volts -0.01 Amps

If the starter battery sensor has failed, or is disconnected, I see:-

Battery Voltages and Currents
Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
Starter Battery - nan volts nan Amps


What I would like is for those 'nan' strings to be just a '-' or
something similar.

Obviously I can write conditional code to check for float('nan')
values but is there a neater way with any sort of formatting string or
other sort of cleverness?


--
Chris Green
·
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Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 16, 2024, 9:05 PM
Post #2 of 16 (281 views)
Permalink
On 16Feb2024 22:12, Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
>I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
>like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'. This would
>then make it much easier to handle outputting values from sensors when
>not all sensors are present.
>
>So, for example, my battery monitoring program outputs:-
>
> Battery Voltages and Currents
> Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
> Starter Battery - 12.34 volts -0.01 Amps
>
>If the starter battery sensor has failed, or is disconnected, I see:-
>
> Battery Voltages and Currents
> Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
> Starter Battery - nan volts nan Amps
>
>
>What I would like is for those 'nan' strings to be just a '-' or
>something similar.
>
>Obviously I can write conditional code to check for float('nan')
>values but is there a neater way with any sort of formatting string or
>other sort of cleverness?

The simplest thing is probably just a function writing it how you want
it:

def float_s(f):
if isnan(f):
return "-"
return str(f)

and then use eg:

print(f'value is {float_s(value)}')

or whatever fits your code.

Cheers,
Cameron Simpson <cs@cskk.id.au>

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https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 17, 2024, 12:47 PM
Post #3 of 16 (277 views)
Permalink
On 2024-02-16, Chris Green via Python-list <python-list@python.org> wrote:

> I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
> like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'.

It would probably help if you told us how you're "outputting" them now
(the Python feaatures/functions used, not the actual output format).

Are you using f-strings, the % operator, str.format(), or ??

I would be tempted to try monkey-patching the float class to override
the __format__ method. I have no idea what side effects that might
have, or if it's even used by the various formatting mechanisms, so
you might end up scraping bits off the walls...

--
Grant
--
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 17, 2024, 12:53 PM
Post #4 of 16 (277 views)
Permalink
On 2024-02-17, Cameron Simpson via Python-list <python-list@python.org> wrote:
> On 16Feb2024 22:12, Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
>>I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
>>like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'.
>>[...]
>>
>> Battery Voltages and Currents
>> Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
>> Starter Battery - nan volts nan Amps
>>
>>What I would like is for those 'nan' strings to be just a '-' or
>>something similar.

> The simplest thing is probably just a function writing it how you want
> it:
>
> def float_s(f):
> if isnan(f):
> return "-"
> return str(f)
>
> and then use eg:
>
> print(f'value is {float_s(value)}')
>
> or whatever fits your code.

Except he's obviously using some sort of formatting to control the
number of columns and decimal places, so 'str(f)' is not going to cut
it. Is the basic floating point number formatting functionality seen
when using f-strings or '%' operator part of the float type or is it
part of the f-string and % operator?

--
Grant


--
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Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 17, 2024, 2:55 PM
Post #5 of 16 (277 views)
Permalink
On 2024-02-17, Cameron Simpson via Python-list <python-list@python.org> wrote:
> On 16Feb2024 22:12, Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
>>I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
>>like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'. [...]
>>
>> Battery Voltages and Currents
>> Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
>> Starter Battery - nan volts nan Amps
>>
>>What I would like is for those 'nan' strings to be just a '-' or
>>something similar.
>
> The simplest thing is probably just a function writing it how you want
> it:
>
> def float_s(f):
> if isnan(f):
> return "-"
> return str(f)

He's obviouisly using a formatting feature to control columns and
decimal places, so I doubt that 'str(f)' is going to meet the need.

I tried monkey-patching the __format__ method of the 'float' type, but
it's immutable -- so that didn't work.

Is float.__format__() what's used by f-strings, the % operator, etc.?

--
Grant
--
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 17, 2024, 3:10 PM
Post #6 of 16 (277 views)
Permalink
On 2024-02-17, Cameron Simpson via Python-list <python-list@python.org> wrote:
> On 16Feb2024 22:12, Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
>>I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
>>like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'. [...]
>>
>> Battery Voltages and Currents
>> Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
>> Starter Battery - 12.34 volts -0.01 Amps

> The simplest thing is probably just a function writing it how you
> want it:
>
> def float_s(f):
> if isnan(f):
> return "-"
> return str(f)

Since he's obviously using one of the float formatting mechanisms to
control the number of columsn and decimal places, I doubt str(f) will
meet the need.

I tried monkey-patching the float type's __format__ method, but it's
immutable.

Is float.__format__() what's used by f-strings, the '%' operator, etc.?

--
Grant
--
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 17, 2024, 3:24 PM
Post #7 of 16 (277 views)
Permalink
On 2024-02-17, Cameron Simpson via Python-list <python-list@python.org> wrote:
> On 16Feb2024 22:12, Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
>>I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
>>like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'. [...]
>>
>> Battery Voltages and Currents
>> Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
>> Starter Battery - 12.34 volts -0.01 Amps

> The simplest thing is probably just a function writing it how you
> want it:
>
> def float_s(f):
> if isnan(f):
> return "-"
> return str(f)

Since he's obviously using one of the float formatting mechanisms to
control the number of columsn and decimal places, I doubt str(f) will
meet the need.

I tried monkey-patching the float type's __format__ method, but it's
immutable.

Is float.__format__() what's used by f-strings, the '%' operator, etc.?

--
Grant
--
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 17, 2024, 3:52 PM
Post #8 of 16 (277 views)
Permalink
On 2024-02-16, Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

> I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
> like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'.

I tried monkey-patching the __format__ method of float, but it's
immutable, so that didnt' work. Is float.__format__ what's used by
f-strings, the % operator, etc.?

--
Grant
--
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 18, 2024, 6:03 AM
Post #9 of 16 (277 views)
Permalink
On 16/02/2024 23.12, Chris Green wrote:
> I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
> like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'. This would
> then make it much easier to handle outputting values from sensors when
> not all sensors are present.
>
> So, for example, my battery monitoring program outputs:-
>
> Battery Voltages and Currents
> Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
> Starter Battery - 12.34 volts -0.01 Amps
>
> If the starter battery sensor has failed, or is disconnected, I see:-
>
> Battery Voltages and Currents
> Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
> Starter Battery - nan volts nan Amps
>
>
> What I would like is for those 'nan' strings to be just a '-' or
> something similar.
>
> Obviously I can write conditional code to check for float('nan')
> values but is there a neater way with any sort of formatting string or
> other sort of cleverness?

Uhm, I cannot see how to avoid conditional code.

Somewhere, function, class, method, there should be
an "if isnan(x)".

You can hide that, but you cannot avoid, I suspect.

bye,

--

piergiorgio

--
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Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 18, 2024, 11:50 AM
Post #10 of 16 (277 views)
Permalink
On Mon, 19 Feb 2024 at 06:47, Grant Edwards via Python-list
<python-list@python.org> wrote:
> I would be tempted to try monkey-patching the float class to override
> the __format__ method. I have no idea what side effects that might
> have, or if it's even used by the various formatting mechanisms, so
> you might end up scraping bits off the walls...
>

You can try, but you'd have to do it in C - the float type is
immutable in Python.

ChrisA
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Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 18, 2024, 1:44 PM
Post #11 of 16 (277 views)
Permalink
On 18/02/24 09:53, Grant Edwards via Python-list wrote:
> On 2024-02-17, Cameron Simpson via Python-list <python-list@python.org> wrote:
>> On 16Feb2024 22:12, Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
>>> I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
>>> like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'.
>>> [...]
>>>
>>> Battery Voltages and Currents
>>> Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
>>> Starter Battery - nan volts nan Amps
>>>
>>> What I would like is for those 'nan' strings to be just a '-' or
>>> something similar.
>
>> The simplest thing is probably just a function writing it how you want
>> it:
>>
>> def float_s(f):
>> if isnan(f):
>> return "-"
>> return str(f)
>>
>> and then use eg:
>>
>> print(f'value is {float_s(value)}')
>>
>> or whatever fits your code.
>
> Except he's obviously using some sort of formatting to control the
> number of columns and decimal places, so 'str(f)' is not going to cut
> it. Is the basic floating point number formatting functionality seen
> when using f-strings or '%' operator part of the float type or is it
> part of the f-string and % operator?

It's part of the PSL's string library: "Format Specification
Mini-Language"
https://docs.python.org/3/library/string.html#format-specification-mini-language

Has the OP stated if we're talking 'Python' or numpy, pandas, ...?

--
Regards,
=dn
--
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 19, 2024, 4:04 AM
Post #12 of 16 (275 views)
Permalink
dn <PythonList@danceswithmice.info> wrote:
> On 18/02/24 09:53, Grant Edwards via Python-list wrote:
> > On 2024-02-17, Cameron Simpson via Python-list <python-list@python.org> wrote:
> >> On 16Feb2024 22:12, Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
> >>> I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
> >>> like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'.
> >>> [...]
> >>>
> >>> Battery Voltages and Currents
> >>> Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
> >>> Starter Battery - nan volts nan Amps
> >>>
> >>> What I would like is for those 'nan' strings to be just a '-' or
> >>> something similar.
> >
> >> The simplest thing is probably just a function writing it how you want
> >> it:
> >>
> >> def float_s(f):
> >> if isnan(f):
> >> return "-"
> >> return str(f)
> >>
> >> and then use eg:
> >>
> >> print(f'value is {float_s(value)}')
> >>
> >> or whatever fits your code.
> >
> > Except he's obviously using some sort of formatting to control the
> > number of columns and decimal places, so 'str(f)' is not going to cut
> > it. Is the basic floating point number formatting functionality seen
> > when using f-strings or '%' operator part of the float type or is it
> > part of the f-string and % operator?
>
> It's part of the PSL's string library: "Format Specification
> Mini-Language"
> https://docs.python.org/3/library/string.html#format-specification-mini-language
>
> Has the OP stated if we're talking 'Python' or numpy, pandas, ...?
>
Just python, on a Raspberry Pi, so currently Python 3.9.2.

--
Chris Green
·
--
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Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 19, 2024, 4:08 AM
Post #13 of 16 (275 views)
Permalink
Grant Edwards <grant.b.edwards@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 2024-02-16, Chris Green via Python-list <python-list@python.org> wrote:
>
> > I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
> > like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'.
>
> It would probably help if you told us how you're "outputting" them now
> (the Python feaatures/functions used, not the actual output format).
>
> Are you using f-strings, the % operator, str.format(), or ??
>
> I would be tempted to try monkey-patching the float class to override
> the __format__ method. I have no idea what side effects that might
> have, or if it's even used by the various formatting mechanisms, so
> you might end up scraping bits off the walls...
>
It's using f'{...}' at the moment.

--
Chris Green
·
--
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Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 19, 2024, 8:58 AM
Post #14 of 16 (273 views)
Permalink
On 2024-02-19, Chris Green via Python-list <python-list@python.org> wrote:

> It's using f'{...}' at the moment.

Here's a demonstration of how to hook custom code into the f-string
formatting engine. It's brilliantly depraved.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/55876683/hook-into-the-builtin-python-f-string-format-machinery

From the above:

You can, but only if you write evil code that probably should
never end up in production software. So let's get started!

I'm not going to integrate it into your library, but I will show
you how to hook into the behavior of f-strings. This is roughly
how it'll work:

1. Write a function that manipulates the bytecode instructions of
code objects to replace FORMAT_VALUE instructions with calls
to a hook function;

2. Customize the import mechanism to make sure that the bytecode
of every module and package (except standard library modules
and site-packages) is modified with that function.

Final code is here:

https://github.com/mivdnber/formathack

--
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Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 19, 2024, 12:11 PM
Post #15 of 16 (272 views)
Permalink
On 20/02/24 05:58, Grant Edwards via Python-list wrote:
> Here's a demonstration of how to hook custom code into the f-string
> formatting engine. It's brilliantly depraved.
>
> https://stackoverflow.com/questions/55876683/hook-into-the-builtin-python-f-string-format-machinery
>
> From the above:
>
> You can, but only if you write evil code that probably should
> never end up in production software. So let's get started!
>
> I'm not going to integrate it into your library, but I will show
> you how to hook into the behavior of f-strings. This is roughly
> how it'll work:
>
> 1. Write a function that manipulates the bytecode instructions of
> code objects to replace FORMAT_VALUE instructions with calls
> to a hook function;
>
> 2. Customize the import mechanism to make sure that the bytecode
> of every module and package (except standard library modules
> and site-packages) is modified with that function.
>
> Final code is here:
>
> https://github.com/mivdnber/formathack

Some of this (Expression components inside f-strings) newly available in
v3.12 (PEP-701) - which can be used in production...

--
Regards,
=dn
--
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Can one output something other than 'nan' for not a number values? [ In reply to ]
python-list at python
Feb 19, 2024, 12:17 PM
Post #16 of 16 (270 views)
Permalink
On 20/02/24 01:04, Chris Green via Python-list wrote:
> dn <PythonList@danceswithmice.info> wrote:
>> On 18/02/24 09:53, Grant Edwards via Python-list wrote:
>>> On 2024-02-17, Cameron Simpson via Python-list <python-list@python.org> wrote:
>>>> On 16Feb2024 22:12, Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
>>>>> I'm looking for a simple way to make NaN values output as something
>>>>> like '-' or even just a space instead of the string 'nan'.
>>>>> [...]
>>>>>
>>>>> Battery Voltages and Currents
>>>>> Leisure Battery - 12.42 volts -0.52 Amps
>>>>> Starter Battery - nan volts nan Amps
>>>>>
>>>>> What I would like is for those 'nan' strings to be just a '-' or
>>>>> something similar.
>>>
>>>> The simplest thing is probably just a function writing it how you want
>>>> it:
>>>>
>>>> def float_s(f):
>>>> if isnan(f):
>>>> return "-"
>>>> return str(f)
>>>>
>>>> and then use eg:
>>>>
>>>> print(f'value is {float_s(value)}')
>>>>
>>>> or whatever fits your code.
>>>
>>> Except he's obviously using some sort of formatting to control the
>>> number of columns and decimal places, so 'str(f)' is not going to cut
>>> it. Is the basic floating point number formatting functionality seen
>>> when using f-strings or '%' operator part of the float type or is it
>>> part of the f-string and % operator?
>>
>> It's part of the PSL's string library: "Format Specification
>> Mini-Language"
>> https://docs.python.org/3/library/string.html#format-specification-mini-language
>>
>> Has the OP stated if we're talking 'Python' or numpy, pandas, ...?
>>
> Just python, on a Raspberry Pi, so currently Python 3.9.2.

Concur with earlier advice (and assuming is only a consideration during
output) - use if.

Alternately, encode appropriately during the data-capture phase.


--
Regards,
=dn
--
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