[Mossypne]

I'm working through the "Learn Python the hard way" online book and have ran into a problem. At the end of a page he asks me to "Convert this while loop to a function that you can call, and replace 6 in the test (i < 6) with a variable." I've tried but i'm stuck and can't get it too work

The page of the book is: http://learnpythonth.../book/ex33.html and my code is.

def while_numbers(numbers):
	i = 0
	numbers = []
	
	while i < numbers:
		print "At the top i is %d" % i
		numbers.append(i)
		
		i += 1
		print "Numbers Now: ", numbers
		print "At the bottom i is %d" % i
		
	print "The numbers: "
	
	for num in numbers:
		print num

I know it's wrong but it's as close as i came.

[sepp2k]

Both your function argument as well as the local variable on line 3 have the same name. So what actually happens is that you throw away the function argument and assign the empty list to it.

[Mossypne]

sepp2k, on 30 July 2012 - 08:37 AM, said:

Both your function argument as well as the local variable on line 3 have the same name. So what actually happens is that you throw away the function argument and assign the empty list to it.

I've changed one of them. But i still don't think it's right. It just doesn't seem right looking at it.

[Nallo]

To elaborate a little bit more on it:
You misunderstood the exercise. The first step only asked you to replace the while part with a function. Not the whole code. It should look like this:

def while_func(stop_point):
    pass # you have to do that

i = 0
numbers = []

while_func(6)

print "The numbers: "

for num in numbers:
    print num

[Mossypne]

Nallo, on 30 July 2012 - 08:45 AM, said:

To elaborate a little bit more on it:
You misunderstood the exercise. The first step only asked you to replace the while part with a function. Not the whole code. It should look like this:

def while_func(stop_point):
    pass # you have to do that

i = 0
numbers = []

while_func(6)

print "The numbers: "

for num in numbers:
    print num

Ha Ha thanks! No wonder it didn't look right! I guess i better go redo the functions and while loop section!

[baavgai]

Step 1, replace the 6 in while i < 6: with a variable. The variable "numbers" is NOT a valid option. You need a new variable. Test it with the value of 6, then a couple of other values. Then, that variable becomes the parameter for the function you're going to write.

Don't make this too hard. The first part in just a line for the variable declaration. The function is just putting the block of code in a def. You are really just changing one line, adding one line, and indenting a block of code.

[Mossypne]

baavgai, on 30 July 2012 - 08:48 AM, said:

Step 1, replace the 6 in while i < 6: with a variable. The variable "numbers" is NOT a valid option. You need a new variable. Test it with the value of 6, then a couple of other values. Then, that variable becomes the parameter for the function you're going to write.

Don't make this too hard. The first part in just a line for the variable declaration. The function is just putting the block of code in a def. You are really just changing one line, adding one line, and indenting a block of code.

a = 6
i = 0
numbers = []

def while_fun(a):
	while i < a:
		print "At the top i is %d" % i
		numbers.append(i)

		i = i + 1
		print "Numbers now: ", numbers
		print "At the bottom i is %d" % i


	print "The numbers: "

for num in numbers:
    print num

Still don't think i'm doing it right. Once i've figured this out i'm going to go back and go over functions again.

[Nallo]

You never called that function. A function is like a programmed robot. You told it what to do, but never said "do it". You need to add that, just one more line of code.

[Mossypne]

Nallo, on 30 July 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

You never called that function. A function is like a programmed robot. You told it what to do, but never said "do it". You need to add that, just one more line of code.

How do i call it? Using "return while_fun" ??? Or something similar?

[Nallo]

the function doesn't need to return anything. It changes the global variables i and numbers. But you need to add a not indented line like while_fun(6), to make the code inside the function to actually run.

When python runs your programm it does so line by line. When it runs into a def something(arguments) statement it skips over the code that is indented, but remembers to execute those lines of code once it runs into a something(some_values) on an other (not indented) line.

[jon.kiparsky]

Since it's a function with side effects (modifies a global variable and prints to standard out) you can just call it and stuff will happen:

while_fun(a)

If you want one or more of the values you assemble in the function, return them, for example:

return numbers, i


will give you a tuple that you could use for debugging.

In that case, something like

return_vals = while_fun(a)

or

return_list, return_i = while_fun(a)

and now you have the list and the final value of i to play with.

[Mossypne]

Yeah i'm completely confused now. I'm going to go back redo functions and while loops then come back to this problem! Thanks for all your help though.

[Nallo]

Trying to remove a little of your confusion. Just to demonstrate what a function call is:

This Program does nothing. It is just a promise to print "Hello World" when the function is called:

def print_something():
    print("Hello World")

Now lets call the function:

def print_something():
    print("Hello World")

print_something()

or lets call it three times:

def print_something():
    print("Hello World")

print_something()
print_something()
print_something()

[Mossypne]

I took a break and came back to it this morning! And i did it! It just clicked this morning what i was doing wrong!

a = 6

numbers = []
	

def while_fun(a):
	
	i = 0
	
	while i < a:
		print "At the top i is %d" % i
		numbers.append(i)

		i = i + 1
		print "Numbers now: ", numbers
		print "At the bottom i is %d" % i


	print "The numbers: "
	return numbers

while_fun(a)

for num in numbers:
    print num

[baavgai]

Yes, you have it. Sort of.

To program in any language you have to understand "scope" Here, you're using global scope for "numbers."

a = 6 # outside of function
numbers = [] # outside of function
	
def while_fun(a): # note, this a is not the same as the a outside
	i = 0
	while i < a:
		print "At the top i is %d" % i
		numbers.append(i) # this numbers is the global one

		i = i + 1
		print "Numbers now: ", numbers
		print "At the bottom i is %d" % i


	print "The numbers: " # this doesn't quite make sense here
	return numbers # you return here, but the caller ignores it?

while_fun(a)

for num in numbers:
    print num

# now try this
print "call 2"
while_fun(5)

for num in numbers:
    print num

# what do you get?
# why

Now, instead, limit your scope:

def while_fun(a):
	numbers = []
	i = 0
	while i < a:
		print "At the top i is %d" % i
		numbers.append(i) # this numbers is the global one

		i = i + 1
		print "Numbers now: ", numbers
		print "At the bottom i is %d" % i
	return numbers
	
def print_results(nums):
	print "The numbers: "
	for num in nums:
		print num


print_results( while_fun(6) )
print_results( while_fun(5) )

Hope this helps.

This post has been edited by atraub: 31 July 2012 - 08:26 AM
Reason for edit:: never thought I'd have to fix your code tags! :-P