Python: Find the position of the second occurrence of a given string in another given string

Last update on April 17 2025 13:01:05 (UTC/GMT +8 hours)

Second Occurrence Position

Write a Python program to find the position of the second occurrence of a given string in another given string. If there is no such string return -1.

Sample Solution:

Python Code:

# Define a function named find_string that takes two strings (txt and str1) as arguments.
def find_string(txt, str1):
    # Use the find method to locate the second occurrence of str1 in txt.
    # The expression txt.find(str1) finds the first occurrence, and adding 1 finds the starting position for searching the second occurrence.
    return txt.find(str1, txt.find(str1) + 1)

# Test the function with different strings and print the results.

# Test case 1
print(find_string("The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog", "the"))

# Test case 2
print(find_string("the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog", "the"))

Sample Output:

-1
31

Explanation:

Here is a breakdown of the above Python code:

• Function definition:
• The code defines a function named "find_string()" that takes two strings (txt and str1) as arguments.
• Find Method:
• The function uses the "find()" method to locate the second occurrence of 'str1' in 'txt'.
• Starting Position for Search:
• The expression txt.find(str1) + 1 finds the starting position for searching the second occurrence of 'str1' in 'txt'.
• Return Statement:
• The function returns the result of the second find operation.

Visual Presentation:

Flowchart:

For more Practice: Solve these Related Problems:

• Write a Python program to find the index of the second occurrence of a specified substring within a string.
• Write a Python program to search for a substring and return the starting index of its second appearance.
• Write a Python program to locate the second occurrence of a pattern in a string using string methods.
• Write a Python program to identify and return the position of the second instance of a given substring; return -1 if it does not exist.

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