alliteration.py

import argparse
import fileinput

def find_alliteration(line, smallest_seq):
    # print("examining line: "+line)
    seq = 1
    words = line.split()
    letter = words[0][0]
    # print("looking for: "+letter)
    for word in words[1:]:
        # print("looking at word: "+word)
        if word[0] == letter:
            seq += 1
            if seq >= smallest_seq:
                # print("FOUND alliteration: "+line)
                return line
        else:
            letter = word[0]
            # print("looking for: "+letter)
            seq = 1
    return None


if __name__ == "__main__":
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
    parser.add_argument("-n", "--number", type=int, default=3,
                        help="minimum number of words to count as alliteration")
    parser.add_argument("files", nargs=argparse.REMAINDER)
    args = parser.parse_args()

    count = 0
    out = open('output.txt', 'w')

    for line in fileinput.input(args.files):
        found = find_alliteration(line, args.number)
        if found:
            count += 1
            out.write(found)

    print("found " + str(count) +" alliterations")