State machine to elaborate a text file in Python

Hi all!

I have a script that takes care of deleting records from a text file.

Each file has this structure:

1st important row
random stuff random stuff T0738023 random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff T7738024 random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff T2738025 random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff

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As you can see the T string identifies the beginning and the end of a record.

Just as an example here's the record "T7738024":

random stuff random stuff T7738024  random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff
random stuff random stuff random stuff random stuff

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In this script I want to be able to delete all the selected records from the text file after asking the user which records he wants to delete while keeping the 1st row and the others in the same identical way (including spaces and invisible characters).

The script already asks the user data and manipulate files copying here and renaming various times.

Here I paste only the "hot" part:

import shutil, os

def sbloccaRicevuteDoppie(lotto_da_sbloccare, ricevute_doppie):
        percorso_file_lotto = lotto_da_sbloccare
        percorso_file_lotto_lot = lotto_da_sbloccare+".LOT"
        percorso_file_lotto_lox = lotto_da_sbloccare+".LOX"
        output = []
        state = 'KEEP'
        numeri_ricevute = ricevute_doppie
        stop_markers = [ 'T%d' % val for val in xrange(10) ]

        with open(percorso_file_lotto_lox) as fin:
                line1 = fin.next() # keep first line unconditionally
                output.append(line1)
                for line in fin:
                        if state == 'KEEP':
                                for numero_ricevuta in numeri_ricevute:
                                        if numero_ricevuta in line:
                                                state = 'DISCARD'
                                                numeri_ricevute.remove(numero_ricevuta)
                                                print numeri_ricevute
                                                break
                                        else:
                                                state = 'KEEP'
                                                output.append(line)
                                                break
                        elif state == 'DISCARD':
                                for stop_marker in stop_markers:
                                        if stop_marker in line:
                                                for numero_ricevuta in numeri_ricevute:
                                                        if numero_ricevuta in line:
                                                                state = 'DISCARD'
                                                                break
                                                        elif numero_ricevuta not in line:
                                                                state = 'KEEP'
                                                                output.append(line)
                                                                break

        with open(percorso_file_lotto_lot, 'w') as fout:
                for line in output:
                        fout.write(line)


lotto_da_sbloccare = '/home/pitto/scripts/spaccalotti/test'
ricevute_doppie = []
ricevute_doppie.append("T0738023")
ricevute_doppie.append("T7738024")
ricevute_doppie.append("T2738025")
sbloccaRicevuteDoppie (lotto_da_sbloccare, ricevute_doppie)

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If I comment the append rows I can simulate the user inserting data.

The trouble is that I can recognize a new record from the T and a number after but only a complete record matching something in the ricevute_doppie list should be deleted.

I really can't think of a solution but the nested for you see there looking at the 'DISCARD' state...

But it's not working correctly if I insert more than one record to be deleted :(