The provided Python script is designed to organize ushers for various shows based on their availability status. Here's a breakdown of its functionality:

Reading Data: The script reads a CSV file containing usher availability data from a specified location.

Data Preprocessing: It converts the column headers to uppercase for consistency. It takes the latest submission by each usher.

Generating Usher Pools:

The script loops through the columns of the DataFrame, checking if the column name starts with "SHOW". For each show column:

• It extracts a list of special ushers and available ushers based on their status ("Special" or "Available").
• Prioritizes the special usher guarateeing them the slot for the show.
• It combines special and available ushers into a pool. Then the pool randomly selects ushers for the show.
• It excludes "Person A" and "Person B" as they are not ushers.
• Finally, it limits the pool based on the venue the show is at. One venue may need up to 25 and the other venue only needs at max 7.

Output Generation:

The script prints the generated pools for each show. It generates a timestamp to create a unique identifier for the output file. It writes the generated pools to a text file, along with the corresponding show names.

Error Handling: The script includes exception handling to catch and print any errors that occur during execution.

Timestamp: It includes the current date and time in the filename of the output file for tracking purposes.

File Structure: The script assumes a specific file structure and file paths for input and output files

Dependencies:

• Python 3.11.8:
• datetime: The datetime module is used for generating timestamps, which are used for various purposes such as naming files with the current date and time.
• os: The os module is used for file path operations, such as joining directory paths and accessing file system-related functions.
• pandas: The pandas library is used for data manipulation and analysis, particularly for working with tabular data structures like DataFrames.
• random: The random module is used for generating random numbers and performing random selections, as in shuffling lists or selecting random items.
• re: The re module is typically used for regular expression operations, but in the given code snippet, it's not being explicitly utilized. It seems like an oversight or a remnant from previous versions of the code.

Author: Claire Kraft