Python: calling a function with varying number of arguments

Question

I want to write a function witch converts a dictionary into a Gtk-ListStore, where the Gtklist-store should have n columns, the first to to be key and value of the dictionary and the rest to be empty strings. N should be given by the user.

The constructor of ListStore demands for the types of the columns. How to specify them in the right number?

Here is the function supporting only 2 or 3 columns to demonstrate the problem:

def dict2ListStore(dic, size=2):
  if size == 2:
    liststore = Gtk.ListStore(str, str)
    for i in dic.items():
       liststore.append(i)
    return liststore
  elif size == 3:
    liststore = Gtk.ListStore(str, str, str)
    for i in dic.items():
       l = list(i)
       l.append("")
       liststore.append(l)
    return liststore
  else:
    print("Error!")
    return

possible duplicate of [Python: Can a variable number of arguments be passed to a function?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/919680/python-can-a-variable-number-of-arguments-be-passed-to-a-function) — Martijn Pieters, Oct 05 '13 at 13:50

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 05 '13 at 13:52

3

liststore = Gtk.ListStore(*([str] * size))

[str] * size is a list with size repetitions of str.

func(*args) is the way to pass the values contained in a sequence args, as multiple arguments.

answered Oct 05 '13 at 13:52

Steve Jessop

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@Nudin A quick look at the (2.7) **[docs](http://docs.python.org/2.7/tutorial/controlflow.html#arbitrary-argument-lists)** might be worthwhile. – wwii Oct 05 '13 at 14:14

Python: calling a function with varying number of arguments

1 Answers1