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Python Dates and Times in Python (2014) Let's Build a Timed Quiz App Harder Time Machine

Zinia Khondoker
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Zinia Khondoker
Python Development Techdegree Graduate 10,451 Points
Posted by Zinia Khondoker
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Zinia Khondoker
Python Development Techdegree Graduate 10,451 Points

Harder Time Machine

Is there a way to solve this using the f string? I've excluded the year for now and just curious to see if this works

time_machine.py 
import datetime

starter = datetime.datetime(2015, 10, 21, 16, 29)

def time_machine(int, "minutes"or "hours" or "days"):
    timedelta = datetime.timedelta(f'{"minutes"or "hours" or "days"}={int}')
    duration = starter + timedelta
    return duration

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
230,688 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
230,688 Points

First, the declaration needs the second parameter to be a name instead an expression using string literals.

Then, the timedelta needs a keyword and value pair (a "kwarg") instead of a string argument. If you want to get fancy, you can build a dictionary object and then unpack it to create the argument.

When you do make an f-string (in other exercises), you can create a substitution token by surrounding its name with braces. You can also make strings using format() or concatenation.

Gerald Bishop
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Gerald Bishop
Python Development Techdegree Graduate 16,897 Points
Gerald Bishop
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Gerald Bishop
Python Development Techdegree Graduate 16,897 Points

I have also tried this f string approach but still cannot figure out how to make it work. My code gives a TypeError. Please help

import datetime

starter = datetime.datetime(2015, 10, 21, 16, 29)

def time_machine(integer, string):
    timedelta = datetime.timedelta(f'{string} = {integer}')
    duration = starter + timedelta
    return duration

print(time_machine(5, "minutes"))

# TypeError: unsupported type for timedelta days component: str
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
230,688 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
230,688 Points

Instead of a string, the timedelta should be given a keyword/value pair or an unpacked dictionary.

Also, don't forget you need to handle "years" as a special case.

And, you won't need to print anything for this challenge.