I don't know why I got this python function challenge right

Question

there seemed to be a lot of complex instructions about printing number one less than length..I wasn't sure so I just put this and it passed..what is going on?
imports.py
import random
def random_member(iterate):
  return len(iterate)
li = [1,2,3,4,5]
print(random.choice(li))

[MOD: cleaned up auto-formatting -cf]

Chris Freeman · Accepted Answer

Sometimes the challenges aren't too rigorous about the test conditions for passing. It turns out that the length of the input in Task 2 also happens to be an accepted value for a random number between 0 and the length of the test input in Task 3. 
As a factious example, this code also passes the challange:
```python
import random
def random_member(arg):
    return 3
``` 
As well as the len(arg) example, also passes:
```python
import random
def random_member(arg):
    return len(arg)
``` 
Since the len(arg) is passing, maybe this challenge content needs to be revisited. Tagging @Kenneth Love (https://teamtreehouse.com/kennethlove)

Martin Cornejo Saavedra · Answer

This is a correct answer:
```python
import random
def random_member(list):
  rannum = random.randint(0, len(list)-1)
  return list[rannum]
```
Yours wasn't correct but I don't know how it passed, maybe Abrahamsen is right.
[MOD: added blank line before and after code block for formatting -cf]

AJ Abrahamsen · Answer

You can actually pass this challenge with just this:
python
import random
def random_member(iterate):
  return len(iterate)

I would guess that the list they are using includes the same number as len(iterate).  So if the length of the list is 10 and the number 10 is somewhere in the list then it will work.  As long as your code returns an item from the list it will pass.
[MOD: added blank line before code block, added missing python for formatting -cf]

Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Looking to learn something new?

Hannah Mackaness

Hannah Mackaness

I don't know why I got this python function challenge right

3 Answers

Chris Freeman

Chris Freeman

AJ Abrahamsen

AJ Abrahamsen

Martin Cornejo Saavedra

Martin Cornejo Saavedra