handle long strings as char array (thanks @huppert_m)

morbidissimo/morioc/pvinfo.py

@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ DTYPES = {
 
 STR_REPS = {v:k for k, v in DTYPES.items()}
 
+MAX_STRING_LENGTH = 40 # epics string is limited to 40 characters, beyond that char arrays are needed
+
 
 
 class PVInfo:
@@ -34,34 +36,34 @@ class PVInfo:
 
 
 
-def infer_type(value, parse_string=True): #TODO char vs. strings?
+def infer_type(value, parse_string=True):
     if isinstance(value, Sequence) and not isinstance(value, str):
         value = np.array(value) # rely on numpy to figure out a consistent dtype
 
     if isinstance(value, np.ndarray):
         return infer_type_numpy(value) #TODO: also parse strings for np arrays?!
-    elif isinstance(value, np.generic): # covers all numpy scalars
+
+    if isinstance(value, np.generic): # covers all numpy scalars
         value = value.item()
 
-    return infer_type_scalar(value, parse_string=parse_string)
-
-
-
-def infer_type_scalar(value, parse_string=True):
     if parse_string and isinstance(value, str):
         if value in STR_REPS:
             value = STR_REPS[value]
 
+    if isinstance(value, str):
+        return infer_type_str(value)
+
+    return infer_type_scalar(value)
+
+
+
+def infer_type_scalar(value):
     if isinstance(value, type):
         dtype = value
         value = dtype()
     else:
         dtype = type(value)
 
-    #TODO: this can probably be removed
-    if isinstance(dtype, str):
-        raise Exception("how?")
-
     #TODO: bool -> int or string?
     if isinstance(value, bool):
         dtype = int
@@ -96,3 +98,13 @@ def infer_type_numpy(arr):
 
 
 
+def infer_type_str(value):
+    count = len(value)
+    #TODO: handle count == 1 as a single char?
+    if count > MAX_STRING_LENGTH:
+        return "char", value, count
+    else:
+        return "string", value
+
+
+

morbidissimo/morioc/test_infer_type.py

@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ def test_it_type_int():
 def test_it_value_str():
     assert it("test") == ("string", "test")
 
+def test_it_value_long_str():
+    dat = "test" * 100
+    ref = dat
+    assert it(dat) == ("char", ref, len(ref))
+
 def test_it_value_float():
     assert it(1.23) == ("float", 1.23)