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Python

format() argument after ** must be a mapping, not list

Create a function named string_factory that accepts a list of dictionaries and a string. Return a new list build by using .format() on the string, filled in by each of the dictionaries in the list.

Here's my code: Please help!

dicts = [
    {'name': 'Michelangelo',
     'food': 'PIZZA'},
    {'name': 'Garfield',
     'food': 'lasanga'},
    {'name': 'Walter',
     'food': 'pancakes'},
    {'name': 'Galactus',
     'food': 'worlds'}
]

string = "Hi, I'm {name} and I love to eat {food}!"

def string_factory(dicts, string):
  strings = []
  for items in dicts:
   string.format(**dicts) 
  return strings

print(string_factory(dicts, string))

6 Answers

Juan Martin
Juan Martin
14,335 Points

Hello my friend!

Here you can see 2 possible ways of doing it:

First:

def string_factory(dictionary, strings):
  string_list = []
  for i in range(len(dictionary)):
    string_list.append(strings.format(**dictionary[i]))

  return string_list

Second:

def string_factory(dictionary, strings):
  string_list = []
  for element in dictionary:
    string_list.append(strings.format(**element))

  return string_list

Hope this helps!

Have an awesome night :)

this worked for me:

def string_factory(dicts, string):
  formatted = []
  for data in dicts:
    new_dict = data
    formatted.append(string.format(**new_dict))
  return formatted


print(string_factory(dicts, string))
Maxim Andreev
Maxim Andreev
24,529 Points

Can someone dumb down '**' please, I understand how to use **kwargs, and *args for functions but how is the double asterick being used in this case?

double asterisks are for unpacking items in a dictionary

dicts = [ {'name': 'Michelangelo', 'food': 'PIZZA'}, {'name': 'Garfield', 'food': 'lasanga'}, {'name': 'Walter', 'food': 'pancakes'}, {'name': 'Galactus', 'food': 'worlds'} ]

string = "Hi, I'm {name} and I love to eat {food}!" def string_factory(str,dict): new_list= [ string.format(dicts[0]), string.format(dicts[1]), string.format(dicts[2]), string.format(dicts[3]) ]

return new_list

i dont know where i am wrong it is giving an iteration error in ( new_list=[ )

please reply and correct me!!

Daniel Muchiri
Daniel Muchiri
15,407 Points

This worked for me:

def string_factory(dicts, string):
    string_list = []
    for a_dict in dicts:
        string_list.append(string.format(**a_dict))

    return string_list