Save and load shopping list - found fix for
on load

Question

If you are having issues when loading your saved shopping list were it continually adds 
 to each item creating spaces in your saved list, this will fix it.  Just add [:-1] to the items you are appending back to your shopping list and it will strip out the 
. Here is an example:
python
with open(file_name, READ) as my_file:
    for items in my_file:
        shopping_list.append(items[:-1])

This was a major problem with the proper loading and saving of my shopping list, really had me stumped for awhile. Thought I would share because it was a really simple fix, only 5 characters.
Here is my full project:
```python
import os
make a list to hold onto items
shopping_list = []
variables for open function
filename = 'savedlist.txt'
WRITE = 'w'
READ = 'r'
def clear():
    # clear the console
    if os.name == 'nt':
        os.system('cls')
    else:
        os.system('clear')
def show_help() :
    # print out instuctins on how to use the app
    print("""
    Enter 'DONE' when your are finished adding items.
    Enter 'HELP' for the help message.
    Enter 'SHOW' to see your current list of items.
""")
def showlist():
    # print out the list
    clear()
    print("Here's your list:")
    for item in shoppinglist :
        print(item)
def addtolist(newitem) :
    # add new items to out list
    shoppinglist.append(newitem)
    print("added {}. List now has {} items. 
".format(newitem, len(shopping_list)))
def loadlist():
    # Check if file exist and load saved list
    try:
        with open(filename, READ) as myfile:
            for items in myfile:
                shopping_list.append(items[:-1])
    except:
        # if file doesnt exist
        return
def savelist():
    # save current list for later
    print('')
    saveitems = input("Would you like to save your shopping list? Y/n ").lower()
    if saveitems == 'n':
        clear()
        print("Thanks, your list will not be saved 
")
    else:
        with open(filename, WRITE) as file:
            for item in shopping_list:
                file.write("{}
".format(item))
        clear()
        print("Thanks, your list has been saved 
")
def main():
    print("What should we pick up at the store?")
    loadlist()
    showhelp()
    while True :
        #ask for new item
        new_item = input("Add Item > ")
    if new_item == 'DONE' :
        break
    elif new_item =='HELP' :
        show_help()
        continue
    elif new_item =='SHOW' :
        show_list()
        continue
    add_to_list(new_item)
show_list()
save_list()
main()
```

Boban Talevski · Answer

That's a nifty trick :).
Before I checked this post, I discovered the handy string function rstrip (https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html?highlight=rstrip#str.rstrip) which strips whitespace from the string (including the newline/return character) and solves the problem as well. Just adding this for anyone else facing the same issue.
python
def load_list():
    with open('shopping_list.txt') as list_file:
        for line in list_file:
            shopping_list.append(line.rstrip())

Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Looking to learn something new?

Jacob Corkran

Jacob Corkran

Save and load shopping list - found fix for \n on load

Keith Ostertag

Keith Ostertag

1 Answer

Boban Talevski

Boban Talevski