Question

Can someone please help me? I'm brand new to programming and I'm stuck on problem set 0...
This is the closest I've come so far:
raw_input('Enter your date of birth:')
ans = DOB
raw_input('Enter your last name:')
ans = name
print name + DOB

It prompts for my DOB, returns it, then stops. Why doesn't it prompt for my name?

Answer 1

Hm. I'm not entirely sure what that code is doing per se. You want to put the result of raw_input into the appropriate variable:

DOB = raw_input('Enter your date of birth:')
name = raw_input('Enter your last name:')

print name + DOB

That should work, as raw_input will put the result of what the user types into the DOB variable, and then the second time into the name variable. Then you print both.

Answer 2

raw_input() is a function. A function is a block of code that does a task. When a function finishes, it can return a value. In this case you want to assign the return value to a variable. Assignment is done with a single equal sign.

DOB = raw_input('Enter your date of birth:')

The 'Enter your...' string is passed into the function.

In your code, you were calling the raw_input() function, but then trying to assign what was at that point an undefined variable DOB to ans. In programming, the value of the right side of the "=" is assigned to the left side.

Answer 3

That's what I tried first! It only asks for my birthday, and then doesn't even print it to the screen...

Answer 4

oops! never mind... i just hadn't figured out how to use idle properly yet. got it. thank you :)

Answer 5

Good to hear you got it figured out :)

Answer 6

(Might want to give rsmith a medal above if he was helpful ;) )

Answer 7

raw_input() returns a value
so assign it to your variable .
DOB = raw_input('say somethin')