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Python

Posted by Jason Whitaker
Jason Whitaker
12,252 Points

letter_game.py just runs in a loop. doesn't quit.

import random

# make a list of words
words = [
  'apple',
  'banana',
  'orange',
  'coconut',
  'strawberry',
  'lime',
  'grapefruit',
  'lemon',
  'kumquat',
  'blueberry',
  'melon'
]

while True:
  start = input("Press enter/return to start, or enter Q to quit")
  if start.lower() == 'q':
    break
  # pick a random word
  secret_word = random.choice(words)
  bad_guesses = []
  good_guesses = []

  while len(bad_guesses) < 7 and len(good_guesses) != len(list(secret_word)):
    # draw guessed letters, spaces and strikes
    for letter in secret_word:
      if letter in good_guesses:
        print(letter, end='')
      else:
        print('_', end='')
    print('')
    print('Strikes: {}/7'.format(len(bad_guesses)))
    print('')
    # take a guess
    guess = input("Guess a letter: ").lower()
    if len(guess) != 1:
      print("You can only guess a single letter!")
      continue
    elif guess in bad_guesses or guess in good_guesses:
      print("You've already guessed that letter")
      continue
    elif not guess.isalpha():
      print("You can only guess letters!")
      continue        
    if guess in secret_word:
      good_guesses.append(guess)
      if len(good_guesses) == len(list(secret_word)):
        print("You win! The word was {}".format(secret_word))
        break
    else:
      bad_guesses.append(guess)
  else:
    print("You didn't guess it! My secret word was {}".format(secret_word))
  # print out win/lose

3 Answers

Ryan Ruscett
Ryan Ruscett
23,309 Points
Ryan Ruscett
Ryan Ruscett
23,309 Points

That's because you are doing a 

while True:

Let me ask you this. While what is true? As far the computer knows as long as True it is going to keep going. Nothing tells me to quite.

A while loop is used in the instance something will run for x amount of time and I don't know what x is going to be. You have the first while True but you also have:

 while len(bad_guesses) < 7 and len(good_guesses) != len(list(secret_word)):

You don't do a while loop for something that you know how many times it's suppose to run. While length of bad_guess is less than seven. How about if len of bad_guess is less than 7. No need to while loop it. You are entering a loop inside of a loop. But not a loop that ever ends. The first loop doesn't end and the second loop runs as long as something needs to happen.

You should make the first while loop depending on a variable. Say "run = True" Now I am going to run until that value get's turned false. 

run = True

While run"
    blah blah blah

Then change the second while to an if statement. This way it kicks it back to the while loop to run again. where as the value of run is still true keep going.

Does that make sense? If not let me know and I can try and help further or rephrase it.

Thanks!

Jason Whitaker
Jason Whitaker
12,252 Points
Jason Whitaker
Jason Whitaker
12,252 Points

I just rewatched the video and double checked my code. It is correct per the video. I runs now and I didn't change a thing on it. There must have been something wrong with Workspaces. Also, if using a while construct is not considered best practice then why is the code presented that way in the video?

Mark Southcombe
Mark Southcombe
3,361 Points
Mark Southcombe
Mark Southcombe
3,361 Points

The code only works if the word has no repeating letters, it is not correct!

When it compares the good_guesses to secret_word it doesn't take into account that there may be repeating letters.

Basically the code the instructor wrote is floored!! Unless the word you are guessing has no repeating letters.