I had run a program (actually an answer to an exercise from our Lerning to program in Python course) which prints out a day and month number. And my group asked "how do I get the month by name?" and "What day of the week is that?"

Good questions ... and the answer in Python always starts ... "If you're doing something, think if someone's done it before, and if they have, the code probably exists and is available to you". With a common(ish) requirement, there's a probablility that the code you need is supplied as a module with the Python distribution, or is even built in via objects / methods / function calls.

Sample answer ... create a datetime object with the wanted day and month, and you can then enquire. Complete code is [here] ... the vital bits:

  dayinfo = datetime.date(year, moy[dayWanted-1], dom[dayWanted-1])
  print dayinfo.strftime("%B ... %A")

Then "Can you do that in Swedish?". Yes, if I set the locale before I do the formatting:

  import locale as l
  if not person in ("Gavin","Graham","Gary"):
    l.setlocale(l.LC_ALL, 'sv_SE')

(Ensuring that the results remain in English for the tutor, and delegates Gavin and Gary!)
(written 2016-06-23)

 Y117 - Python - Already written modules
  [4710] Searching a Json or XML structure for a specific key / value pair in Python - (2016-10-30)
  [4708] Scons - a build system in Python - building hello world - (2016-10-29)
  [4696] Programming with random numbers - yet re-using the same values for testing - (2016-06-22)
  [4452] Binary data handling - Python and Perl - (2015-03-09)
  [4441] Reading command line parameters in Python - (2015-02-23)
  [4086] Cacheing class for Python - using a local SQLite database as a key/value store - (2013-05-14)
  [4085] JSON from Python - first principles, easy example - (2013-05-13)
  [3479] Practical Extraction and Reporting - using Python and Extreme Programming - (2011-10-14)
  [3465] How can I do an FTP transfer in Python? - (2011-10-05)
  [3442] A demonstration of how many Python facilities work together - (2011-09-16)
  [2931] Syncronise - software, trains, and buses. Please! - (2010-08-22)
  [2890] Dates and times in Python - (2010-07-27)
  [2506] Good example of recursion in Python - analyse an RSS feed - (2009-11-18)
  [2020] Learning Python - many new example programs - (2009-01-31)

Back to Programming with random numbers - yet re-using the same values for testing

Previous and next or Horse's mouth home

Forward to Lisa writes - on the referendum vote today

Pretty at the station too
Obfurscated code - it might work, but is it maintainable?
Melksham Rail Development Group - a celebration of 20 years
Lisa writes - on the referendum vote today
Month, Day, Year number to day of week and month names in Python - English and Swedish
Melksham Rail Development Group becoming Melksham Rail Users Group
Supported Bus Services in Wiltshire - analysis of written-in comments
Wiltshire supported bus service consultation, early 2016 - interim results published
How are bus support payments currently calculated?