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 Introducing Lists Build an Application Add Items

I am not getting the Added statement with the number of items after every item on the list

here is my code

# Create a new empty list named shopping_list
shopping_list = []

# Create a function named add_to _list that declares a parameter named item
def add_to_list(item):
    #add the item to the list
    shopping_list.append(item)
    #Notify user that the item was added, and state the number of items in the list currently
    print("Added! list has {} items.".format(len(shopping_list)))

def show_help():
    print("What should we pick up at the store?")
    print("""
Enter 'DONE' to stop adding items.
Enter 'HELP' for this help.
""")

show_help()
while True:
    new_item = input("> ")

    if new_item == 'DONE':
        break
    elif new_item == 'HELP':
        show_help()
        continue

# Call add_to_list with new_item as an argument
add_to_list(new_item)

here is what happens when it runs

treehouse:~/workspace$ python shopping_list.py
What should we pick up at the store?

Enter 'DONE' to stop adding items.
Enter 'HELP' for this help.

Apples
Oranges
DONE
Added! list has 1 items
it doesn't include the first item

Chevy McMartin
Chevy McMartin
9,681 Points

add_to_list(new_item) needs to be indented 4 spaces to be part of the while loop.

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,236 Points

Indentation is the key, as Chevy observed and is often the case when working with Python:

while True:
    new_item = input("> ")

    if new_item == 'DONE':
        break
    elif new_item == 'HELP':
        show_help()
        continue

    # Call add_to_list with new_item as an argument
    add_to_list(new_item)