if element.isdigit():
    newelement=int(element)

partition=element.partition('.')
if (partition[0].isdigit() and partition[1]=='.' and partition[2].isdigit()) or (partition[0]=='' and partition[1]=='.' and partition[2].isdigit()) or (partition[0].isdigit() and partition[1]=='.' and partition[2]==''):
    newelement=float(element)

try:
    float(element)
except ValueError:
    print "Not a float"

import re
if re.match("^d+?.d+?$", element) is None:
    print "Not float"

def is_float_try(str):
    try:
        float(str)
        return True
    except ValueError:
        return False

import re
_float_regexp = re.compile(r"^[-+]?(?:b[0-9]+(?:.[0-9]*)?|.[0-9]+b)(?:[eE][-+]?[0-9]+b)?$")
def is_float_re(str):
    return re.match(_float_regexp, str)


def is_float_partition(element):
    partition=element.partition('.')
    if (partition[0].isdigit() and partition[1]=='.' and partition[2].isdigit()) or (partition[0]=='' and partition[1]=='.' and pa
rtition[2].isdigit()) or (partition[0].isdigit() and partition[1]=='.' and partition[2]==''):
        return True

if __name__ == '__main__':
    import unittest
    import timeit

    class ConvertTests(unittest.TestCase):
        def test_re(self):
            self.failUnless(is_float_re("20e2"))

        def test_try(self):
            self.failUnless(is_float_try("20e2"))

        def test_re_perf(self):
            print
            print 're sad:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_re("12.2x")', "import floatstr").timeit()
            print 're happy:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_re("12.2")', "import floatstr").timeit()

        def test_try_perf(self):
            print
            print 'try sad:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_try("12.2x")', "import floatstr").timeit()
            print 'try happy:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_try("12.2")', "import floatstr").timeit()

        def test_partition_perf(self):
            print
            print 'partition sad:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_partition("12.2x")', "import floatstr").timeit()
            print 'partition happy:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_partition("12.2")', "import floatstr").timeit()

        def test_partition(self):
            self.failUnless(is_float_partition("20e2"))

        def test_partition2(self):
            self.failUnless(is_float_partition(".2"))

        def test_partition3(self):
            self.failIf(is_float_partition("1234x.2"))

    unittest.main()

def is_float_try(str):
    try:
        float(str)
        return True
    except ValueError:
        return False

import re
_float_regexp = re.compile(r"^[-+]?(?:b[0-9]+(?:.[0-9]*)?|.[0-9]+b)(?:[eE][-+]?[0-9]+b)?$")
def is_float_re(str):
    return re.match(_float_regexp, str)


def is_float_partition(element):
    partition=element.partition('.')
    if (partition[0].isdigit() and partition[1]=='.' and partition[2].isdigit()) or (partition[0]=='' and partition[1]=='.' and pa
rtition[2].isdigit()) or (partition[0].isdigit() and partition[1]=='.' and partition[2]==''):
        return True

if __name__ == '__main__':
    import unittest
    import timeit

    class ConvertTests(unittest.TestCase):
        def test_re(self):
            self.failUnless(is_float_re("20e2"))

        def test_try(self):
            self.failUnless(is_float_try("20e2"))

        def test_re_perf(self):
            print
            print 're sad:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_re("12.2x")', "import floatstr").timeit()
            print 're happy:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_re("12.2")', "import floatstr").timeit()

        def test_try_perf(self):
            print
            print 'try sad:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_try("12.2x")', "import floatstr").timeit()
            print 'try happy:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_try("12.2")', "import floatstr").timeit()

        def test_partition_perf(self):
            print
            print 'partition sad:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_partition("12.2x")', "import floatstr").timeit()
            print 'partition happy:', timeit.Timer('floatstr.is_float_partition("12.2")', "import floatstr").timeit()

        def test_partition(self):
            self.failUnless(is_float_partition("20e2"))

        def test_partition2(self):
            self.failUnless(is_float_partition(".2"))

        def test_partition3(self):
            self.failIf(is_float_partition("1234x.2"))

    unittest.main()

^[-+]?(?:b[0-9]+(?:.[0-9]*)?|.[0-9]+b)(?:[eE][-+]?[0-9]+b)?$