Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]


Groups > comp.lang.python > #3475

Re: strange use of %s

Path csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!aioe.org!feeder.news-service.com!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed6.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path <mail@timgolden.me.uk>
X-Original-To python-list@python.org
Delivered-To python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status OK 0.001
X-Spam-Evidence '*H*': 1.00; '*S*': 0.00; 'newbie': 0.03; 'string.': 0.04; 'reference:': 0.07; 'sql.': 0.07; 'python': 0.07; 'from:addr:timgolden.me.uk': 0.09; 'from:name:tim golden': 0.09; 'message-id:@timgolden.me.uk': 0.09; "module's": 0.09; 'substitution': 0.09; 'this:': 0.11; 'written': 0.12; 'wrote:': 0.14; '"...': 0.16; 'coder': 0.16; 'received:74.55.86': 0.16; 'received:74.55.86.74': 0.16; 'received:smtp.webfaction.com': 0.16; 'received:webfaction.com': 0.16; 'recipes': 0.16; 'cc:no real name:2**0': 0.20; 'cc:2**0': 0.20; 'code': 0.22; 'header:In- Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.22; 'values': 0.23; "what's": 0.24; "i'm": 0.26; 'instead': 0.26; 'string': 0.29; 'etc.)': 0.29; "python's": 0.29; '(the': 0.30; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.31; 'tjg': 0.31; 'all,': 0.31; "skip:' 10": 0.32; 'called': 0.32; '...': 0.32; "i've": 0.33; 'received:192': 0.34; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.35; 'flag': 0.35; 'subject:use': 0.35; 'response': 0.36; 'received:192.168': 0.37; 'two': 0.37; 'database': 0.38; 'used': 0.38; 'end': 0.39; 'where': 0.39; 'would': 0.40; "it's": 0.40; 'might': 0.40; 'from:addr:mail': 0.60; 'vary': 0.60; 'simple': 0.60; 'best': 0.60; 'full': 0.62; 'details': 0.64; 'strange': 0.65; 'circle': 0.68; 'alternative': 0.69; 'introduce': 0.78; 'to:none': 0.92
Date Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:44:40 +0100
From Tim Golden <mail@timgolden.me.uk>
User-Agent Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-GB; rv:1.9.2.15) Gecko/20110303 Lightning/1.0b2 Thunderbird/3.1.9
MIME-Version 1.0
CC python-list@python.org
Subject Re: strange use of %s
References <4dabf65a$0$18250$4fafbaef@reader2.news.tin.it>
In-Reply-To <4dabf65a$0$18250$4fafbaef@reader2.news.tin.it>
Content-Type text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding 7bit
X-BeenThere python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version 2.1.12
Precedence list
List-Id General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe <http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list>
List-Post <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe <http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Message-ID <mailman.505.1303116284.9059.python-list@python.org> (permalink)
Lines 39
NNTP-Posting-Host 82.94.164.166
X-Trace 1303116284 news.xs4all.nl 34849 [::ffff:82.94.164.166]:52001
X-Complaints-To abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:3475

Show key headers only | View raw


On 18/04/2011 09:29, Tracubik wrote:
> Hi all,
> i'm reading a python tutorial in Ubuntu's Full Circle Magazine and i've
> found this strange use of %s:
>
> sql = "SELECT pkid,name,source,servings FROM Recipes WHERE name like '%%%s%
> %'" %response
>
> response is a string. I've newbie in sql.
>
> why do the coder use %%%s%% instead of a simple %s?
> why he also use the ''?

Two parts to this answer.

The straightforward one: because the SQL string needs to end
up looking like this: "... WHERE name LIKE '%abcd%'" and
since it's being generated by Python's string substitution,
the surrounding percents need to be doubled up in the original
string to be left as single in the final string.

An alternative in a modern Python might be to use string formatting:
"... WHERE name LIKE '%{}%'".format (response)

HOWEVER... this is not the best way to introduce Python values into
a SQL string. It's better to use the db module's string substitution
flag (often ? or :field or, confusingly, %s). This is because the
approach above lends itself to what's called SQL injection.
Obligatory xkcd reference: http://xkcd.com/327/

The code would be better if written something like this:

   sql = "SELECT ... WHERE name LIKE '%' + ? + '%'"
   q = db.cursor ()
   q.execute (sql, [response])

(The details will vary according to the database being used etc.)

TJG

Back to comp.lang.python | Previous | NextPrevious in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread


Thread

strange use of %s Tracubik <affdfsdfdsfsd@b.com> - 2011-04-18 08:29 +0000
  Re: strange use of %s Tim Golden <mail@timgolden.me.uk> - 2011-04-18 09:44 +0100
    Re: strange use of %s John Nagle <nagle@animats.com> - 2011-04-25 15:01 -0700
      Re: strange use of %s Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-04-26 08:10 +1000
  Re: strange use of %s Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-04-18 18:50 +1000
  Re: strange use of %s Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2011-04-18 22:22 -0700
  Re: strange use of %s Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-04-19 15:31 +1000
  Re: strange use of %s Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2011-04-19 21:01 -0700

csiph-web