Question

using python

#You've been sent a list of names. Unfortunately, the names
#come in two different formats:
#
#First Middle Last
#Last, First Middle
#
#You want the entire list to be the same. For this problem,
#we'll say you want the entire list to be Last, First Middle.
#
#Write a function called name_refixer. name_refixer should have two
#parameters: an output filename (the first parameter) and the
#input filename (the second parameter). You may assume that every
#line will match one of the two formats above: either First Middle
#Last or Last, First Middle.
#
#name_refixer should write to the output file the names all
#structured as Last, First Middle. If the name was already structured
#as Last, First Middle, it should remain unchanged. If it was
#structured as First Middle Last, then Last should be moved
#to the front and a comma should be added after it.
#
#The names should appear in the same order as the original file.
#
#For example, if the input file contained the following lines:
#David Andrew Joyner
#Hart, Melissa Joan
#Cyrus, Billy Ray
#
#...then the output file should contain these lines:
#Joyner, David Andrew
#Hart, Melissa Joan
#Cyrus, Billy Ray

#Add your code here!

#The code below will test your function. You can find the two
#files it references in the drop-down in the top left. If your
#code works, output_file.txt should have the text:
#Joyner, David Andrew
#Hart, Melissa Joan
#Cyrus, Billy Ray
name_refixer("output_file.txt", "input_file.txt")
print("Done running! Check output_file.txt for the result.")

#If you accidentally erase input_file.txt, here's its original
#text to copy back in (remove the pound signs):
#David Andrew Joyner
#Hart, Melissa Joan
#Cyrus, Billy Ray

Answer 1

def name_refixer(outputFile,inputFile):
first=True
with open(outputFile,'w') as fout, open(inputFile) as fin:
for line in fin:
name=''
if len(line.strip().split(','))==2:
name=line.strip()
else:
first,middle,last=line.split()
name='{}, {} {}'.format(last,first,middle)
if first:
fout.write(name)
first=False
else:
fout.write("\n"+name)