pyFeetInches-Strings2Decimals

# Convert Feet and Inches to Feet decimals
# Mike Kerry - Feb 2021 - [email protected]

hlist = ["Height", "3 ft 4in", "4ft 1 in", "4ft", "3ft 9in", "3.5ft", "4ft 3 in", "3ft 7in"]

total_inches = 0.0          # Accumulator for sum of heights in inches
valid_heights = 0           # Count of valid height strings found

for hs in hlist[1:]:        # Process each cell except the first (which contains "height")
    x = hs.find("ft")       # we expect to find the string "ft" in every cell
    if x < 0:
        print("Invalid cell: ", hs)
        continue

    valid_heights += 1      # Count one valid height string
    hs1 = hs[:x].strip()    # extract everything before "ft" and strip off any leading and trailing spaces
    feet = float(hs1)       # what's left can now be converted to a float value (no matter if integer or float)

    # Now extract any inches
    inches = 0              # start by assuming there are no inches specified
    y = hs.find("in")
    if y > 0:               # was "in" found? (if not, y will be -1, and inches stays at zero)
        hs2 = hs[x+2:y].strip()     # Extract everything between "ft" and "in" and strip it
        inches = float(hs2)         # What's left can now be converted to inches as a float

    inches += feet * 12             # Compute total inches for one student
    total_inches += inches          # compute sum of heights for all students in inches

print("The average student height is {:.3f} inches".format(total_inches / valid_heights))

total_feet = total_inches / 12.0    # convert to feet and decimals
print("The average student height is {:.1f} feet".format(total_feet / valid_heights))

# Output:
# The average student height is 45.429 inches
# The average student height is 3.8 feet