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Python Python Basics (2015) Number Game App Squared

Posted by danielchristie
danielchristie
21,505 Points

Why won't this work?

def squared(num1):
    try:
        int(num1)
        return num1 * num1
    except:
        return num1 * len(num1)
  • >>> squared(2)
  • 4
  • >>> squared(5)
  • 25
  • >>> squared("tim")
  • 'timtimtim'
  • >>>

Look's like it works fine to me...What gives?

This is what frustrates me the most about TreeHouse's test environment. I waste a lot of time where my code works fine when I test it out but their test environment is so obtuse as it will only except one specific solution despite any other solutions that may also be working.

This problem is, I don't always know what "that" single solution is and end up wasting my time trying to to guess which the TreeHouse test environment wishes to see.

squared.py 
# EXAMPLES
# squared(5) would return 25
# squared("2") would return 4
# squared("tim") would return "timtimtim"

1 Answer

danielchristie
danielchristie
21,505 Points
danielchristie
danielchristie
21,505 Points

Forget it. I did another trial an error to make the test environment happy.

It was retarded as it wanted the following as a pass:

def squared(num1):
    try:
        num1 =  int(num1) * int(num1)
    except:
        return num1 * len(num1)
    return num1

Why it prefers it this way which is not the DRY method, who knows?...