class Solution(object):

def compress(self, chars):

"""

:type chars: List[str]

:rtype: int

"""

# 100 pass

# Logic - Returning the count is enough, no need to pop the array and substitution + required count would work

# Overwrite the array as we traverse and donot pop or delete anything

# Reference from user javaleg

n = len(chars)

# as in example 2

if n <= 1:

return 1

# 2 pointer technique

init = 0

move = 1

total_count = 1

while move < n:

current_count = 1

# Count the number of similarities

while move < n and chars[move] == chars[init]:

move += 1

current_count += 1

# Count of 1 should be ignored

if current_count > 1:

# Count characters should be appened separately

current_count = str(current_count)

for ch in current_count:

init += 1

chars[init] = ch

total_count += 1

# The next character

init += 1

# Move is at the next diff char

if move < n:

chars[init] = chars[move]

total_count += 1

move += 1

return total_count

"""

i = 0

select = None

while i < len(chars):

if not select:

select = chars[i]

index = i

count = 1

i += 1

elif chars[i] == select:

count += 1

i += 1

elif chars[i] != select:

if count > 1:

chars = chars[:index+2]+list(str(count))+chars[i:]

select = None

i = len(chars[:index+2]+list(str(count)))

else:

select = None

if i >= len(chars) and count > 1:

chars = chars[:index+1]+list(str(count))

return len(chars)

"""

"""

# Compress string with ["Char", "no of times it occured"] - Fails some cases

# Use O(1) extra space ==> Dictionary method would have been easy, but use 0 space extra

i, count = 0,0

while i < len(chars):

count = 2

select = chars[i]

if chars[i+1] == select:

i += 2

chars[i] = 2

else:

i += 1

while chars[i] == select:

del chars[i]

count += 1

i += 1

return chars

"""

"""

# Fails large test case

i, count = 0,0

index = 0

ref = 0

while i < len(chars):

select = chars[i]

index = i

i += 1

count += 1

while i < len(chars) and chars[i] == select:

i += 1

count += 1

# Problems might occur here, anticipate and fix

if count > 1:

ref = list(str(count))

del chars[index+len(ref)+1:i]

chars[index] = select

for j in range(len(ref)):

index += 1

chars[index] = ref[j]

i = index#+len(ref)

ref = 0

count = 0

else:

count = 0

"""

"""

i = 0

count = 0

select = None

while i < len(chars):

#print str(i),select

if i < len(chars) and select is None:

print str(i),select, len(chars)

select = i

count = 1

i += 1

if i == len(chars):

return len(chars)

elif i < len(chars) and chars[i] == chars[select]:

count += 1

if not chars[select+1].isdigit():

chars[select+1] = str(count)

i += 1

elif count > 2:

chars[select+1] = str(count)

del chars[i]

else:

if count > 9:

temp = list(str(count))

chars = chars[:select+1]+temp+chars[select+len(temp):]

i = select+len(temp)+1

select = None

if i == len(chars):

return len(chars)

print str(i), chars

#return len(chars)

"""