Import Random Code Challenge

Wow... Thanks Kenneth. I have enjoyed the tutorial thus far. I hope to see your next one soon.

I've also done tutorials with python before, and I can definitely see the differences between 2.7 and 3.0 in python. I just want to say my thanks.

Although my constructive criticism about explaining the challenge a bit more would be taken into consideration.

Eddie Flores I am more than happy to reword the challenge. Any specific suggestions?

Well through your tutorial, I've gone through it backwards and forwards the last few days making sure that with each coding challenge I learned everything I would need to get through it. There were some holes in the process.

For example, in the functions code challenge, I don't believe you mentioned anything about the built-in code for python. I have a friend on here that was taking this tutorial (which encouraged me to take it) that couldn't get passed that point. He didn't know that sum() was a built-in tool, and had no idea that it could be used, let alone necessary to be used for the challenge. I know we can do it in a for loop, but if you can at least to doing it that way people without experience won't have to get so frustrated. At least in the wording of the question reference to it.

(i.e.) Make a function named add_list that adds all of the items in a passed-in list together and returns the total. Assume the list contains only numbers.

to

Make a function named add_list that adds all of the items in a passed-in list together and returns the total. Assume the list contains only numbers. Use a for loop to pass it through the list to get your total.

That at least tells me to use a for loop and assign it to the variable total in order to get it through. I didn't even consider using a for loop to finish that challenge until I saw another post on the forum and it used the sum like I did, but you stated in the comments area that you rather it not use sum() but a for loop. I went back and did it, and it works. It's just a lot more work, not much explained, and it forces the students to read between imaginary lines that were not in any specific context.

As in this challenge for the importing.

Challenge task 2 of 2
Now, make a function named random_member that takes a list. It should generate a random number between zero and the length of the list (minus one), and return the list item at that index.

Could be worded as:

Challenge task 2 of 2
Now, make a function named random_member that takes a *populated* list. It should generate a random number between zero and the length of the list (minus one), and return the list item at that index.

Because if this challenge is anything like the last one, I would be assuming that the system will populate the list. One of my toughest parts of the challenge was realizing that I had to populate the list myself. That was.. until it kept giving me errors like 0 items detected or some thing. I have also thought that it might have been due to the error that I created, that it might have required a populated list, and still didn't work because it was in parenthesis and not brackets. I honestly haven't gone back and tried it with an empty list, but it would be nice to know if it were a bit more clear.

Thanks for the suggestions, Eddie Flores. I'll read through them more, but I wanted to point out that sum() isn't required and, really, isn't even expected to be use to complete the function.

I've also left out some of these instructions, like "use a for loop" or "length of the list (minus one)" so that you're required to come up with those steps yourself. I want you to be thinking and I want things to be a little hard :). But I should probably go back and add a bit more explanation to some of these.

Thanks again!

Ha, sorry for the frustration. At least you'll be way more likely to remember this in the future! That's a good solution with one small style problem. You should always have a space after a comma, so random.randint(0, len(user_list)-1).