time_machine is not returning the correct datetime

Question

I don't know what am I doing wrong. Please help....

time_machine.py

import datetime
from datetime import timedelta

starter = datetime.datetime(2015, 10, 21, 16, 29)

# Remember, you can't set "years" on a timedelta!
# Consider a year to be 365 days.

## Example
# time_machine(5, "minutes") => datetime(2015, 10, 21, 16, 34)
def time_machine(num, string):
  return starter + timedelta('string' = num)

Answer 1 · 2016-01-07T13:43:43Z

January 7, 2016 1:43pm

Ok. A few things.

First, you can call timedelta as datetime.timedelta with that first import negating the need for the second import. Good practice that way. :)

Second, you need to avoid using string as a parameter name because that is a reserved word in Python. Also you should use something other than num, something more descriptive like unit because it is the unit of time you are evaluating.

Last, you need to put in a case for each different kind of time. I've got your minutes example in here. You'll need to put some else conditions in to cover all the other kinds (hours, days, years). But remember years is 365 days for the case of this challenge. ;)

def time_machine(num, unit):
    if unit == 'minutes':
        return starter + datetime.timedelta(minutes = num)

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time_machine is not returning the correct datetime

1 Answer

Nathan Tallack

Nathan Tallack

Af Mondal

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