Python elegant inverse function of int(string,base)

Maybe this shouldn't be an answer, but it could be helpful for some: the built-in format function does convert numbers to string in a few bases:

>>> format(255, 'b') # base 2
'11111111'
>>> format(255, 'd') # base 10
'255'
>>> format(255, 'o') # base 8
'377'
>>> format(255, 'x') # base 16
'ff'

If you use Numpy, there is numpy.base_repr.

You can read the code under numpy/core/numeric.py. Short and elegant

This thread has some example implementations.

Actually I think your solution looks rather nice, it's even recursive which is somehow pleasing here.

I'd still simplify it to remove the else, but that's probably a personal style thing. I think if foo: return is very clear, and doesn't need an else after it to make it clear it's a separate branch.

def digit_to_char(digit):
    if digit < 10:
        return str(digit)
    return chr(ord('a') + digit - 10)

def str_base(number,base):
    if number < 0:
        return '-' + str_base(-number, base)
    (d, m) = divmod(number, base)
    if d > 0:
        return str_base(d, base) + digit_to_char(m)
    return digit_to_char(m)

I simplified the 0-9 case in digit_to_char(), I think str() is clearer than the chr(ord()) construct. To maximize the symmetry with the >= 10 case an ord() could be factored out, but I didn't bother since it would add a line and brevity felt better. :)