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Python Python Collections (2016, retired 2019) Sets Set Math

Deniz Kahriman
Deniz Kahriman
8,538 Points

How can I proceed with the code below? Writing a function to search a set of values within a dict and return their key

Thanks in advance!!!

sets.py
COURSES = {
    "Python Basics": {"Python", "functions", "variables",
                      "booleans", "integers", "floats",
                      "arrays", "strings", "exceptions",
                      "conditions", "input", "loops"},
    "Java Basics": {"Java", "strings", "variables",
                    "input", "exceptions", "integers",
                    "booleans", "loops"},
    "PHP Basics": {"PHP", "variables", "conditions",
                   "integers", "floats", "strings",
                   "booleans", "HTML"},
    "Ruby Basics": {"Ruby", "strings", "floats",
                    "integers", "conditions",
                    "functions", "input"}
}
def covers({set_of_topics}):
    course_list = {}
    for topics in set_of_topics:
            if topics in COURSES.values():
                course_list.add(COURSES.keys())
    final_list = list(course_list)
    return final_list

1 Answer

Stuart Wright
Stuart Wright
41,118 Points

This challenge is easier to solve by looping over the dictionary and checking to see if any of the courses are in the set, rather than the other way around.

The problem with your method is that when you write:

if topics in COURSES.values():
    course_list.add(COURSES.keys())

You are checking if the topic belongs anywhere in the dictionary, and you then add all the keys. When you should only be adding the key that the topic was found in.

Here is my solution using method I've described above:

def covers(set_of_topics):
    course_list = []
    for course, topics in COURSES.items():
        if set_of_topics.intersection(topics):
            course_list.append(course)
    return course_list
Deniz Kahriman
Deniz Kahriman
8,538 Points

Ahhh, it makes sense. Thank you so much!!