Maximum characters that can be stuffed into raw_input() in Python

Question

For an InterviewStreet challenge, we have to be able to accomodate for a 10,000 character String input from the keyboard, but when I copy/paste a 10k long word into my local testing, it cuts off at a thousand or so.

What's the official limit in Python? And is there a way to change this?

Thanks guys

Here's the challenge by-the-by:

http://www.interviewstreet.com/recruit/challenges/solve/view/4e1491425cf10/4edb8abd7cacd

there is no such limit. there might be a stray newline in your pasted input. — Dan D.
– Dan D., Commented Dec 12, 2011 at 2:10

Filip Roséen · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-12 02:19:17Z

8

Are you sure of the fact that your 10k long word doesn't contain newlines?

raw_input([prompt])

If the prompt argument is present, it is written to standard output without a trailing newline. The function then reads a line from input, converts it to a string (stripping a trailing newline), and returns that. When EOF is read, EOFError is raised.

...

If the readline module was loaded, then raw_input() will use it to provide elaborate line editing and history features.

There is no maximum limit (in python) of the buffer returned by raw_input, and as I tested some big length of input to stdin I could not reproduce your result. I tried to search the web for information regarding this but came up with nothing that would help me answer your question.

my tests

  :/tmp% python -c 'print "A"*1000000' | python -c 'print len (raw_input ())';
  1000000
  :/tmp% python -c 'print "A"*210012300' | python -c 'print len (raw_input ())';
  210012300
  :/tmp% python -c 'print "A"*100+"\n"+"B"*100' | python -c 'print len (raw_input ())'; 
  100

edited Dec 12, 2011 at 2:19

answered Dec 12, 2011 at 2:13

Filip Roséen

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1 Comment

Raymond Hettinger Over a year ago

+1 Thanks for the excellent, simple demonstration. Nice work.

Eric Ferreira · Accepted Answer · 2022-09-05 16:29:28Z

6

I had this same experience, and found python limits the length of input to raw_input if you do not import the readline module. Once I imported the readline module, it lifted the limit (or at least raised it significantly enough to where the text I was using worked just fine). This was on my Mac with Python 2.7.15. Additionally, it’s been confirmed working on at least 3.9.5.

edited Sep 5, 2022 at 16:29

answered Dec 20, 2018 at 14:57

Eric Ferreira

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3 Comments

808sound Over a year ago

Wow, thanks a million! This worked for me as well (Python 2.7.17, Ubuntu 18.04).

Dae Over a year ago

Worked for me on Python 3.9.5, macOS.

Eric Ferreira Over a year ago

Thanks @Dae—I updated the answer to note that.

David Vincent · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-12 03:05:16Z

0

I guess this is part of the challenges. The faq suggest raw_input() might not be the optimal approach:

The most common (possibly naive) methods are listed below. (...)

There are indeed Python standard modules helping to handle system input/output.

answered Dec 12, 2011 at 3:05

David Vincent

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