Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

Python Python Basics (2015) Letter Game App Random Item

Ping Li
Ping Li
2,689 Points
Posted by Ping Li
Ping Li
2,689 Points

How do I do this? What's wrong?

You've seen how random.choice() works. It gets a random member from an iterable (like a list or a string). I want you to try and reproduce it yourself. First, import the random library. Then create a function named random_item that takes a single argument, an iterable. Then use random.randint() to get a random number between 0 and the length of the iterable, minus one. Return the iterable member that's at your random number's index. Check the file for an example.

item.py 
import random
def random_item("Hello"):
    num = random.randint(0, len("Hello") - 1)
    return("Hello"<num>)
# EXAMPLE
# random_item("Treehouse")
# The randomly selected number is 4.
# The return value would be "h"
Jose Aguirre
Jose Aguirre
14,866 Points
Jose Aguirre
Jose Aguirre
14,866 Points

Hey Ping Li, Although "Hello" is an iterable, you want to put a variable in its place. For example 

import random
def random_item(str):
    num = random.randint(0, len(str) - 1)
    return(str[num])

# sample function call 
# print(random_item("hello"))

When returning the index of the string at num use [] square brackets instead of <>. Let me know if this was helpful.

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,269 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,269 Points

You can't use literal strings as function parameters.

Everywhere you have "Hello", you should have a variable name instead. That variable will represent the actual value given to the function when it is called.

Also, when subscripting you enclose the index in square brackets ("[]") instead of angle brackets ("<>").