Reading HLA dat files in python.. not complete

gistfile1.txt

#!/usr/bin/python

filename="hla.dat"
alleles= []

OP_BEGIN="ID"

OP_WIDTH=2
LAST=-1

allels = []

# for debugging
MAX_N_LINE_TO_READ=100
n_read_lines=0

with open(filename, "r") as f:
  for line in f:
    if n_read_lines > MAX_N_LINE_TO_READ:
      break
    ++n_read_lines
    op = line[:OP_WIDTH]
    value = line[OP_WIDTH:].strip()
    #print ">" + op + "<"
    # adds empty allel to allels list
    if op == OP_BEGIN:
      allels.append({ "FT": [], "SQ": ["", ""]})

    # all operations work on the last allel in the list
    if op == "ID":
      allels[LAST][op]=value
    #elif op == "FT":
    #  allels[LAST][op].append(value)
    elif op == "SQ":
      allels[LAST][op][0] = value
    elif op == '  ': 
      dna_seq=value[:-10].strip().replace(" ", "")
      allels[LAST]["SQ"][1] += dna_seq

#prints out all files
for a in allels:
  print a