How do I count how many characters repeat after each other

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Python

I have forgotten the term for a repeating pattern (eee is one with 3 elements, but eae is not one because it has an "a" between it. Anyway, i am trying to make a program that inputs like "38 38" and spits out "38*2", but my solution doesn't work at all. I have been trying this for hours and am very tired which could probably be a factor. Here is the code:

def applyMultiplier(multiplier):
    printData = str(multiplier)
    print(printData)

def compress():
    tempData = inputData.split(' ')
    multiplier = 1
    for i in range(len(tempData)-1):
        if tempData[i] == tempData[i - multiplier]:
            multiplier += 1
            if i == len(tempData[i])-1:
                applyMultiplier(multiplier)
        else:
            applyMultiplier(multiplier)
            multiplier = 0
            break
    print("compressed...")

print("write something")
inputData = input()
compress()

When i did an immediate print(str(multiplier)) at the end of the for loop before it worked great "ja ja ja" spit out 3 and "da da" spit out 2. Then I tried to apply it to the inputData string but it malfunctioned so i did the solution above, and it will not print the multiplier it just prints ("compressed..."). Why?

Edit: I made the following changes to the code:

def applyMultiplier(multiplier):
    printData = str(multiplier)
    print(printData)

def compress():
    tempData = inputData.split(' ')
    multiplier = 1
    for i in range(len(tempData)-1):
        if tempData[i] == tempData[i - multiplier]:
            multiplier += 1
            if i == len(tempData[i])-2:
                applyMultiplier(multiplier)
                
        else:
            applyMultiplier(multiplier)
            multiplier = 0
            break
    print("compressed...")

print("write something")
inputData = input()
compress()

now it almost works, now it just outputs "apa apa apa" as 3. "apa apa" is nothing, "ja ja ja" is 2 and "ja ja" is nothing, obviously it counts the characters instead of occurences of words. What?

Edit: I believe I am quite close to making this work. This is the code now:

<pre>def applyMultiplier(multiplier, inputData):
    printData = str(multiplier)
    print(inputData + "*" + printData)

def compress():
    tempData = inputData.split(' ')
    multiplier = 1
    for i in range(len(tempData)-1):
        if tempData.count(tempData[i]) <= 1:
            continue
        if tempData[i] == tempData[i - multiplier]:
            multiplier += 1
            if i == len(tempData)-2:
                applyMultiplier(multiplier, tempData[i])
                multiplier = 0
        else:
            applyMultiplier(multiplier, tempData[i])
            multiplier = 0
            continue
    print("compressed...")

print("write something")
inputData = input()
compress()

It almost works "ja ja" prints "ja*2" and "ja ja ja ja" prints "ja*4". PERFECT! Just one problem though "ja ja hi" prints "ja*1", which should not be possible.

What I have tried:

I have tried everything it feels like, I have tried rewriting the code probably 5-6 times with varying results, this is the best results I have gotten but it still doesn't work.