Reversing a regular expression in python

import re
import string

def traverse(tree):
    retval = ''
    for node in tree:
        if node[0] == 'any':
            retval += 'x'
        elif node[0] == 'at':
            pass
        elif node[0] in ['min_repeat', 'max_repeat']:
            retval += traverse(node[1][2]) * node[1][0]
        elif node[0] == 'in':
            if node[1][0][0] == 'negate':
                letters = list(string.ascii_letters)
                for part in node[1][1:]:
                    if part[0] == 'literal':
                        letters.remove(chr(part[1]))
                    else:
                        for letter in range(part[1][0], part[1][1]+1):
                            letters.remove(chr(letter))
                retval += letters[0]
            else:
                if node[1][0][0] == 'range':
                    retval += chr(node[1][0][1][0])
                else:
                    retval += chr(node[1][0][1])
        elif node[0] == 'not_literal':
            if node[1] == 120:
                retval += 'y'
            else:
                retval += 'x'
        elif node[0] == 'branch':
            retval += traverse(node[1][1][0])
        elif node[0] == 'subpattern':
            retval += traverse(node[1][1])
        elif node[0] == 'literal':
            retval += chr(node[1])
    return retval

print traverse(re.sre_parse.parse(regex).data)

In [1]: import re

In [2]: a = re.sre_parse.parse("[abc]+[def]*d?z")

In [3]: a
Out[3]: [('max_repeat', (1, 65535, [('in', [('literal', 97), ('literal', 98), ('literal', 99)])])), ('max_repeat', (0, 65535, [('in', [('literal', 100), ('literal', 101), ('literal', 102)])])), ('max_repeat', (0, 1, [('in', [('category', 'category_digit')])])), ('literal', 122)]

In [4]: eval(str(a))
Out[4]:
[('max_repeat',
  (1, 65535, [('in', [('literal', 97), ('literal', 98), ('literal', 99)])])),
 ('max_repeat',
  (0,
   65535,
   [('in', [('literal', 100), ('literal', 101), ('literal', 102)])])),
 ('max_repeat', (0, 1, [('in', [('category', 'category_digit')])])),
 ('literal', 122)]

In [5]: a.dump()
max_repeat 1 65535
  in
    literal 97
    literal 98
    literal 99
max_repeat 0 65535
  in
    literal 100
    literal 101
    literal 102
max_repeat 0 1
  in
    category category_digit
literal 122

import re
class REParser(object):
"""Parses an RE an gives the least greedy value that would match it"""

 def parse(self, parseInput):
    re.compile(parseInput) #try to parse to see if it is a valid RE
    retval = ""
    stack = list(parseInput)
    lastelement = ""
    while stack:
        element = stack.pop(0) #Read from front
        if element == "\":
            element = stack.pop(0)
            element = element.replace("d", "0").replace("D", "a").replace("w", "a").replace("W", " ")
        elif element in ["?", "*"]:
            lastelement = ""
            element = ""
        elif element == ".":
            element = "a"
        elif element == "+":
            element = ""
        elif element == "{":
            arg = self._consumeTo(stack, "}")
            arg = arg[:-1] #dump the }
            arg = arg.split(",")[0] #dump the possible ,
            lastelement = lastelement * int(arg)
            element = ""
        elif element == "[":
            element = self._consumeTo(stack, "]")[0] # just use the first char in set
            if element == "]": #this is the odd case of []<something>]
                self._consumeTo(stack, "]") # throw rest away and use ] as first element
        elif element == "|":
            break # you get to an | an you have all you need to match
        elif element == "(":
            arg = self._consumeTo(stack, ")")
            element = self.parse( arg[:-1] )

        retval += lastelement
        lastelement = element
    retval += lastelement #Complete the string with the last char

    return retval

 def _consumeTo(self, stackToConsume, endElement ):
    retval = ""
    while not retval.endswith(endElement):
        retval += stackToConsume.pop(0)
    return retval