Question

Ending a simple loop

This is really pre-first problem set. The sample exercise is :
Write a program that has a user guess your name, but they only get 3 chances to do so until the program quits. I want to make a simple loop, but can't find a way to end the 'NOPE' branch without printing 'good guess' as well.

Suggestions? Thanx.


name = 'Monty'
guess = ""
i = 0

while guess != name :
if i < 3:
i = i + 1
guess = raw_input('Guess my name: ')
else:
print 'NOPE'
print 'good guess'

Answer 1

The simplest way to fix this code is to insert another test just before the last line:

if guess == name:
print 'good guess'

Answer 2

Thanks-- what about how to keep it from printing NOPE forever, if three wrong answers are entered, since guess is still != name?

Answer 3

I tried to stop the loop by telling it the top condition was met, but then I can't seem to get out of printing 'good guess.'

Answer 4

I would change the loop to include a test of whether 1>3. If I was writing this for the first time, I think that's ALL the loop would test.

Answer 5

sorry, that's whether i > 3

Answer 6

The idea is to give a person 3 chances to answer, then exit, so my plan would be:

assign a variable to track how many chances they've had

if they haven't already had all their chances
get a guess
add one to the number of chances they've had, because they're getting one now
if the guess is wrong, tell them it's wrong
if the guess is right, tell them it's right

if they've had all their chances
tell them they lose

Answer 7

sorry, the line

if they haven't already had all their chances

should probably actually be

while they haven't already had all their chances

Answer 8

actually, I'd also add a line after the if their guess is right condition to increase the number of chances to the max, just so they don't get asked again.

Answer 9

then the

if they've had all their chances

should probably be

if they've had all their chances and haven't gotten it right

but then you'd need a variable to keep track of if they've gotten it right... Maybe just not tell them if they lose and end after the while loop stops.

Answer 10

How about something like this (untested, of course):
good = False
name = "Monty"
i = 0
while (not good) and (i < 3):
guess = raw_input("Guess my name")
good = (guess == name)
if not good: print "NOPE"
if good: print "Wow--Are you telepathic or something?"

Answer 11

Oops. Forgot to increment i in the loop. Sorry--but I told you it was untested. :)

Answer 12

Thank you, I did get it to work, using your suggestions. By telling them NOPE outside the the loop, it stopped. So is there a way to tell the program just stop, you're done, don't execute any more commands? And I take it there's no such thing as GOTO anymore?

guess = ""
name = "Monty"
i = 0

while guess != name and (i < 3):
guess = raw_input("Guess my name: ")
i = i + 1
if guess == name: print "good guess"
if guess != name: print "NOPE. That was your last chance."

Answer 13

the command

break

inside a loop breaks that loop (but not any loops the broken loop is in). I haven't found any GOTO equivalent in Python but my experience with GOTO is that it's the command that allows me to do things I will invariably later regret.

Answer 14

"things I will invariably later regret" -- sometimes those also turn out to be the things we will brag about to our grandchildren... maybe not with goto though.