gene_spac = [{'low': 1, 'high': 21}, {'low': 45.2, 'high': 61.5}]
gene_type = [int, float]

gene_string = '1>21:2, 45.2>61.5:2.4'

def gene_ranges(minV, maxV, stepS):
 # create all paramameter variations from min to max acc. to stepping
 newList = []
 while minV <= maxV:
 newList.append(minV)
 if type(stepS) is float:
 minV = round((minV + stepS), len(str(stepS).split(".")[1]))
 else:
 minV = minV + stepS
 return newList
def gene_expression_unroll(string):
 # takes a string as input to convert to a list of numbers (genes)
 string = string.replace(" ", "") # removes spaces
 blocks = string.split(",") # splits into blocks of ranges, which will be handled separately
 try: # test for format convention qualification
 test1 = blocks[0].index(':')
 test2 = blocks[0].index('>')
 except Exception:
 exit('Input expression for gene ranges is not valid \"1>9:1\" format')
 resulting_ranges = []
 for _ in blocks:
 min_val = _[0:_.index('>')]
 min_val = float(min_val) if '.' in min_val else int(min_val)
 max_val = _[(_.index('>') + 1):_.index(':')]
 max_val = float(max_val) if '.' in max_val else int(max_val)
 stepping = _[(_.index(':') + 1):len(_)]
 stepping = float(stepping) if '.' in stepping else int(stepping)
 # print('min_val:', min_val, 'max_val:', max_val, 'stepping:', stepping)
 new_range = gene_ranges(min_val, max_val, stepping)
 resulting_ranges = resulting_ranges + new_range
 return resulting_ranges
# basic test to create gene ranges
print(gene_ranges(1, 21, 2))
print(gene_ranges(45.2, 61.5, 2.4))
print('')
gene_string = '1>21:2, 45.2>61.5:2.4'
print(gene_expression_unroll(gene_string), 'gene low is: 0 and high is:', len(gene_expression_unroll(gene_string)))