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Python Regular Expressions in Python Introduction to Regular Expressions Escapes

Write a function named first_number that takes a string as an argument. The function should search, with a regular expre

Write a function named first_number that takes a string as an argument. The function should search, with a regular expression, the first number in the string and return the match object.

syntax error, please help =)

escapes.py
import re
def first_number("rock3"):
  re.search(r'\d')
  return str(first_number)

3 Answers

William Li
PLUS
William Li
Courses Plus Student 26,868 Points

Hey, Michaelangelo, couple problems here

  • when defining a function, you shouldn't manually pass in an actual string as function parameter.
  • re.search takes a second argument.
def first_number(s):
  return re.search(r'\d', s)

This is my first time going through Python. Nowhere in the Track up to this point have they mentioned a "def" function or how to define function parameters - the idea that there isn't a "Show Answer" button when the student has not been given enough information to solve the problem properly, is mind-boggling.

Hello Ryan,

I presume you took the Django Track, This track is taught with an assumption that you've covered Python Basics Course already.

Cheryl Hughey
Cheryl Hughey
9,034 Points

I agree. Since Treehouse has moved to teaching User Experience, I really think they need to revisit their decision not to use a "Show Answer" feature. Assuming a student has taken and understood a previous course doesn't help the buy-in for retainment.

There is a lot of that. You'll see stuff in the solution for most of these that they have never gone over before. To be fair, it doesn't seem like just a Treehouse problem.

You are right my friend. There really was no build up to this.

import re def first_number(denis): return re.search(r'\d',denis)