def string_times(str, n):

  return str*n

def front_times(str, n):

  return str[:3]*n

def string_bits(str):

  return str[0::2]

def string_splosion(str):

  result = ''

  for i in range(len(str)):

    result = result + str[:i+1]

  return result

def last2(str):

  if len(str) < 2:

    return 0

  last2 = str[len(str)-2:]

  count = 0

  for i in range(len(str)-2):

    sub = str[i:i+2]

    if sub == last2:

      count = count + 1

  return count

def array_count9(nums):

  return nums.count(9)

def array_front9(nums):

  if len(nums) <= 4: 

    if nums.count(9) >= 1:

      return True 

    else:

      return False 

  else: 

    if nums[:4].count(9) >= 1:

      return True 

    else: 

      return False

def array123(nums):

  for i in range(len(nums)-2):

      if nums[i]==1 and nums[i+1]==2 and nums[i+2]==3:

        return True

  return False

def string_match(a, b):

  shorter = min(len(a), len(b))

  count = 0

  for i in range(shorter-1):

    a_sub = a[i:i+2]

    b_sub = b[i:i+2]

    if a_sub == b_sub:

      count = count + 1

  return count