65. Valid Number

Validate if a given string can be interpreted as a decimal number.

Some examples:
"0" => true
" 0.1 " => true
"abc" => false
"1 a" => false
"2e10" => true
" -90e3 " => true
" 1e" => false
"e3" => false
" 6e-1" => true
" 99e2.5 " => false
"53.5e93" => true
" --6 " => false
"-+3" => false
"95a54e53" => false

Note: It is intended for the problem statement to be ambiguous. You should gather all requirements up front before implementing one. However, here is a list of characters that can be in a valid decimal number:

  • Numbers 0-9
  • Exponent - “e”
  • Positive/negative sign - “+”/”-“
  • Decimal point - “.”

Of course, the context of these characters also matters in the input.

Update (2015-02-10):
The signature of the C++ function had been updated. If you still see your function signature accepts a const char *argument, please click the reload button to reset your code definition.

Code:

class Solution(object):
    def isNumber(self, s):
        """
        :type s: str
        :rtype: bool
        """
        ss = s.strip()
        try:
            float(ss)
        except ValueError:
            return False
        return True