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Python Python Collections (2016, retired 2019) Lists Disemvowel

I think I have it, but the BREAK won't seem to work

Not the pretties nor the most efficient way......say it works. But it doesn't!

disemvowel.py
def disemvowel(word):
    word = []
    word.extend(word.lower())
    try:
        word.remove("a")
    except ValueError:
        try:
            word.remove("e")
        except ValueError:
            try:
                word.remove("i")
            except ValueError:
                try:
                    word.remove("o")
                except ValueError:
                    try:
                        word.remove("u")
                    except ValueError:
                        break
    return word

2 Answers

Christian Mangeng
Christian Mangeng
15,970 Points

Here's what I mean (the solution). I guess it will make some things clearer for you. But you really should check out the documentation about for loops. They are extremely important and are used frequently.

def disemvowel(word):
    vowel = ("a", "e", "i", "o", "u")
    for letter in word:
        if letter.lower() in vowel:
            word = word.replace(letter, "")
    return word

Thanks man, I really appreciate you taking your time to help me!

Now I just gotta catch up on the whole loopy thingy, I found the official Python documentation for for-loops and while-loops – some good night reading right there!

Man I felt so good about this Python course until this challenge showed up. Back to the drawing board.

Catch you later ;-)

Right again brother. One thing at a time!

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,269 Points

You don't have a loop.

So I'm not sure what you'd be expecting break to do. Also, you might need a different strategy if you want to remove more than one vowel from a word. Don't forget to consider that some words may even have more than one of the same vowel.

Alright, besides the BREAK. Shouldn't this function sorta like a loop? I mean: try this; until the error message, then try the next thing and so on?

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,269 Points

Well, yes, you might want to have a loop. I was just pointing out that you don't have one currently.

Christian Mangeng
Christian Mangeng
15,970 Points

Break does exactly the opposite of that: it breaks out of the loop. So break requires to be in a loop first. It is the "while" statement that can initialize a loop that continues as long as a certain condition is fulfilled (or endlessly). Also, break is not a function.

Sure thing Steven. I've been at it for hours now and stared blind on my code. Imma try figure that loop doop out!

@Christian Mangeng

soo... a while loop kinda like this?

def disemvowel(word):
    word = []
    word.extend(word.lower())
    while word:
        try:
            word.remove("a")
        except ValueError:
            continue
        try:
            word.remove("e")
        except ValueError:
            continue
        try:
            word.remove("i")
        except ValueError:
            continue
        try:
            word.remove("o")
        except ValueError:
            continue
        try:
            word.remove("u")
        except ValueError:
            return word
Christian Mangeng
Christian Mangeng
15,970 Points

The problem is that you need a better way to solve this task. The best way to solve it may be to use a "for" loop and iterating over the single characters of the word, then ask if this letter lowercased is contained in the list of lowercased vowels. If it is, you remove it. I would recommend using the replace() method.

This is what my head is thinking:

get word

remove ("a", "e", "i", "o", "u") from word.lower()
remove ("A", "E", "I", "O", "U") from word.upper()

return word

I know its not Python or any other language for that matter, but it's sorta what I want.

I don't know where to fit that loop?

Christian Mangeng
Christian Mangeng
15,970 Points

Try using this in your code. You will be able to do the rest. Take your time to overthink it.

for letter in word:
    if letter.lower() in ("a", "e", "i", "o", "u"):

This is absolutely ridiculous, I mean I appreciate your help Christian(!), but this makes no sense to me what-so-ever, even though I feel this should be simple as pie.

Imma have to take this Python Basic Course from the top!

Christian Mangeng
Christian Mangeng
15,970 Points

It may be best for you to review some of the videos, or maybe check the documentation about "for loops". What this code basically does is what i wrote in that earlier comment. You can now use word.replace(letter, "") to replace the letter (if it is a vowel, which is being checked with that "for" loop) with an empty placeheolder (i.e. you remove it).

Bummer, still no luck. Can I ask where the word "letter" came to be? Should it be defined somewher?

def disemvowel(word):
    for letter in word:
        if letter.lower() in ("a", "e", "i", "o", "u"):
            word.replace(letter, "")       
        if letter.upper() in ("A", "E", "I", "O", "U"):
            word.replace(letter, "")
    return word
Christian Mangeng
Christian Mangeng
15,970 Points

It could have any name you want. It is the name you give an element of the string (or list), in this case a letter of the word string (see for loops).

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,269 Points

You're getting really close.

But ... the replace method doesn't alter the original string. It returns a new string with the alterations. So you need to save the altered version.

Also, since you convert the letters to lowercase to compare with the vowels, you won't need to do it again with uppercase so you can save some code lines.

I'll bet you will get it now.

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,269 Points

:unamused: Oh, darn. I really thought you were going to get it yourself using the hints in this thread. You were nearly there!