Is there a built-in function to keep a number in certain range in python?

Question

Does something like this exist in python library?

def func(num, start, end):
    if num <= start:
        return start
    if num >= end:
        return end
    return num

You already have it, and it's easy to make. So why need a built-in? — aIKid, Dec 18 '13 at 07:03

score 9 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 18 '13 at 07:03

9

min and max approach

def func(num, start, end):
    return min(max(num, start), end)

Or the ternary approach

def func(num, start, end):
    return num if start<num<end else start if num<=start else end

answered Dec 18 '13 at 07:03

inspectorG4dget

The ternary approach should be `start < num < end` – thefourtheye Dec 18 '13 at 07:05
@thefourtheye: good point. Updated! – inspectorG4dget Dec 18 '13 at 07:06
1

If there isn't a built-in, it doesn't matter how to write it for something so trivial. – lowZoom Dec 18 '13 at 07:11
There isn't a built-in that I'm aware of – inspectorG4dget Dec 18 '13 at 07:12

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 18 '13 at 07:20

The closest I can come up with is:

def func(num, start, end):
   return min(max(start,num),end)

But given some of the people that I work with better might be:

def func(num, start, end):
    """ Clip a single value """
    top, bottom = max(start, end), min(start, end)
    return min(max(bottom,num),top)

But if you have several values in an array there is always numpy.clip

2 Answers2