gistfile1.py

import re
sep = re.compile(r"[^ |]+")

# a possible string that might be delivered by one of my collegues over http
test_text = "q1w2e3r4t5z|11°11.111'N 22°22.222'W"


def parse_all(text, dispatcher):
  """
  parses over a given text using a dispatch table. the logic itself is in the dispatch table.
  this way, the parse function itself can parse anything with any grammar.
  but keep in mind that the dispatch functions have to be generated with generate_parser()!
  """
  result = dict()
  elems = sep.findall(text)
  return dict((name, dispatcher[name](e)) for e in elems for name in dispatcher.keys()
               if dispatcher[name](e) != None)

def generate_parser(regex):
  """
  this function will produce another function that takes any string and returns
  the matching part of it, or None
  these parse functions work well in a dispatch table for parse_all.
  """
  reg = re.compile(regex)
  return lambda text: reg.search(text) and reg.search(text).group() or None


d_table = dict()
d_table['lat'] = generate_parser(r"\d{1,2}°\d{2}.\d{3}'[NS]")
d_table['lon'] = generate_parser(r"\d{1,2}°\d{2}.\d{3}'[WE]")
d_table['id'] = generate_parser(r"[a-zA-Z]\w{6,}")


print parse_all(test_text, d_table)