title: Using a for loop to do this in python
body: <p>I'm trying to use a <code>for</code> loop in order to formulate this:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p><code>expand('*+123456')</code> should return <code>'1*2+3*4+5*6'</code></p></li>
  <li><p><code>expand('++123')</code> should return <code>'1+2+3'</code></p></li>
  <li><p><code>expand('+*1234')</code> should return <code>'1+2*3+4'</code></p></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>A symbol is chosen from the first two characters of the given string in an alternating fashion and placed between the proceeding digits.</p>
  
  <p>Here is what I've been working with:</p>
  
  <pre><code>def expand(original):
      var = ""
      symbols = original[0:2]
      for i in range(len(original)):
          var = var + symbols + original[i]
      return var
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I realize that there also must be a <code>original[2:]</code> but I don't know where I can fit this into in here.</p>
  
  <p>I'm an amateur and I've been trying to figure out this question for a long time.</p>