In python is there an easier way to write 6 nested for loops?

saleh picture saleh · Aug 15, 2009 · Viewed 32.8k times · Source

This problem has been getting at me for a while now. Is there an easier way to write nested for loops in python? For example if my code went something like this:

  for y in range(3):
    for x in range(3):
      do_something()
      for y1 in range(3):
        for x1 in range(3):
          do_something_else()

would there be an easier way to do this? I know that this code works but when you indent instead of using 2 spaces, like me, it can get to be a problem.

Oh in the example there were only 4 nested for loops to make things easier.

Answer

Alice Purcell picture Alice Purcell · Aug 15, 2009

If you're frequently iterating over a Cartesian product like in your example, you might want to investigate Python 2.6's itertools.product -- or write your own if you're in an earlier Python.

from itertools import product
for y, x in product(range(3), repeat=2):
  do_something()
  for y1, x1 in product(range(3), repeat=2):
    do_something_else()