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Python Python Basics (2015) Number Game App Squared

Pepijn Dekker
PLUS
Pepijn Dekker
Courses Plus Student 5,231 Points
Posted by Pepijn Dekker
Pepijn Dekker
Courses Plus Student 5,231 Points

Python basics challenge question - Where did I go wrong?

This challenge is similar to an earlier one. Remember, though, I want you to practice! You'll probably want to use try and except on this one. You might have to not use the else block, though. Write a function named squared that takes a single argument. If the argument can be converted into an integer, convert it and return the square of the number (num ** 2 or num * num). If the argument cannot be turned into an integer (maybe it's a string of non-numbers?), return the argument multiplied by its length. Look in the file for examples.

squared.py 
# EXAMPLES
# squared(5) would return 25
# squared("2") would return 4
# squared("tim") would return "timtimtim"
def squared(num):
    try:
        if int(num):
            print(int(num) ** 2)
    except ValueError:
        print(num * len(num))

squared(5)
squared("2")
squared("tim")

2 Answers

Aayush Mitra
Aayush Mitra
24,904 Points

Hello Pepijn,

You have the general idea of what to do. Your code worked in the code editor. You just have a few errors.

I added numbers to the lines of code so you can understand it better.

Here is your code:

1 # EXAMPLES 2 # squared(5) would return 25 3 # squared("2") would return 4 4 # squared("tim") would return "timtimtim" 5 def squared(num): 6 try: 7 if int(num): 8 print(int(num) ** 2) 9 except ValueError: 10 print(num * len(num)) 11 12 squared(5) 13 squared("2") 14 squared("tim")

First of all, on lines 8 and 10 you wrote the function print. The challenge does not want you to print, they just want you to return so change that to return.

Now your code should look like this:

EXAMPLES

squared(5) would return 25

squared("2") would return 4

squared("tim") would return "timtimtim"

def squared(num): try: if int(num): return int(num) ** 2 except ValueError: return num * len(num)

squared(5) squared("2") squared("tim")

Next, you don't want to use an if statement for this. What would be easier would be to put the number into a variable. Like this:

num = int(num)

Lastly, the challenge is not looking for a specific error. delete the ValueError after except on line 9.

After doing all of these steps, the code should work. Here is the final code:

def squared(num): try: num = int(num) return num ** 2 except: return num * len(num)

squared(5) squared("2") squared("tim")

If you have anymore questions on how this works, or if this does not pass please tell me.

I hope this worked for you!

Thanks!

Pepijn Dekker
Pepijn Dekker
Courses Plus Student 5,231 Points
Pepijn Dekker
Pepijn Dekker
Courses Plus Student 5,231 Points

Thanks for clearing it up for me.

One last question, why wouldn't we want to use an if statement to see if num is an integer?

Aayush Mitra
Aayush Mitra
24,904 Points

Well you are correct, even I tried it out in the editor and I thought it was correct, which it is. It is just that treehouse does not want you to do it that way I guess. I do not know, I may actually look into that but I think since you are using the the try statement which is almost like an if statement but instead of elif you are catching an error. I guess that putting an if statement inside an almost-like if statement is kind of doing extra work, where you can just use a return statement.

I know this was kind of a weird answer, because I am a bit confused why they counted it wrong in the first place, but I hope this helps.

Thanks! :)

Aayush Mitra
Aayush Mitra
24,904 Points
Aayush Mitra
Aayush Mitra
24,904 Points

Sorry the code did not format correctly. Here it is:

def squared(num): 
    try: 
       num = int(num) 
       return num ** 2 
    except:
        return num * len(num)

squared(5) 
squared("2") 
squared("tim")
Sahapap thaesungnern
Sahapap thaesungnern
3,070 Points

thank you! its correctly.