Python conditional on current and previous row?

Question

I need to calculate a new field with a python conditional where some values only occur if a sequence in a separate attribute field (X) occurs.
For instance my data set looks like this. Y is the attribute I want to fill out:

ID   X  Y
1    1  - 
2    1  - 
3    0  - 
4    0  - 
5    0  - 
6    1  - 
7    1  - 
8    1  - 
9    0  - 
10   0  - 
11   1  - 

Values for Y:
If X = 1, Y = 1
If X = 0 and previous X = 1, Y = 2
If X = 0 and previous x = 0, Y = 0

So my data would look like:

ID   X  Y
1    1  1 
2    1  1 
3    0  2 
4    0  0 
5    0  0 
6    1  1 
7    1  1 
8    1  1 
9    0  2 
10   0  0
11   1  1 

I have seen previous lines stored using:

prev_X = ""

But don't know how to incorporate it into my script which looks like:

fc = r'.....'

rows = arcpy.UpdateCursor(fc)

Y = 1
prev_X = ""  #<=========== DOESN'T WORK
for row in rows:
    if row.X == 1:
        Y = 1           
        row.Y = Y     
        rows.updateRow(row)

    while row.X == 0 and prev_X == 1:
        Y = 2           
        row.Y = Y     
        rows.updateRow(row) 

    while row.X == 0 ande prev_X == 0:
        Y = 0
        row.Y = Y
        rows.updateRow(row)
        rows.next()

    row.X = X
    rows.updateRow(row)

del row, rows

Answer 1

Instead of using while statements, I'd go with your idea of using a prevX var. The key is that you declare the variable after you know the value of X is for each turn through the loop.

By declaring prevX in each of your control structures (if or elif statement), you know what the value of X was in that loop.

This is just a nested conditional (you could accomplish this by using and between conditionals too).

fc = r'.....'
rows = arcpy.UpdateCursor(fc)

for row in rows:

    if row.X == 0:
        row.Y = 1
        rows.updateRow(row)
        prevX = 0  #Now the script knows that the last value of X was 0

    elif row.X == 1:
        if prevX == 1:
            row.Y = 2
            rows.updateRow(row)
            prevX = 1 #Now the script knows that the last value of X was 1

        elif prevX == 0:
            row.Y = 0
            rows.updateRow(row)
            prevX = 0 #Now the script knows that the last value of X was 0

In your question, you didn't state what the value of Y would be if X = 0 and there was no previous value of X (i.e. if this was the first row).