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Python Python Collections (2016, retired 2019) Dungeon Game Cartographer

Posted by Andrew Kircher
Andrew Kircher
16,612 Points

draw_map function seems to have redundant code

The draw_map function in the video looks like this:

def draw_map(player):
    print(" _ "*5)
    grid ="|{}"

    for cell in CELLS:
        x, y = cell
        if x<4:
            line_end= ""
            if cell == player:
                output =grid.format("X")
            else:
                output = grid.format("_")
        else:
            line_end= "\n"
        if cell == player:
            output =grid.format("X|")
        else:
            output = grid.format("_|")
        print(output, end=line_end)

It seems that the last if statement would over ride the output variable. When I changed the function to:

def draw_map(player):
    print(" _ "*5)
    grid ="|{}"

    for cell in CELLS:
        x, y = cell
        if x<4:
            line_end= ""
        else:
            line_end= "\n"
        if cell == player:
            output =grid.format("X|")
        else:
            output = grid.format("_|")
        print(output, end=line_end)

It seemed to produce the same results. The code can even be reduced to

def draw_map(player):
    print(" _ "*5)
    grid ="|{}"

    for cell in CELLS:
        x, y = cell
        if x<4:
            line_end= ""
            if cell == player:
                output =grid.format("X|")
            else:
                output = grid.format("_|")
        else:
            line_end= "\n"

        print(output, end=line_end)

And produce the same results. So is there a reason we added all of this extra code?

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points

Did you try running with these changes? It doesn't produce the same output as the original.

But even if it did, remember that the objective of the course is for you to learn the techniques, not necessarily build the most efficient sample program. There are cases where a little extra verbosity helps make the teaching point much more clearly.

As you progress in the courses and the sample programs get more complex, there will often be opportunities to make the code more compact and/or efficient. The fact that you notice these is a good indication of your learning progress!

And it is possible to make this function much more compact and still work the same, here's an example:

def draw_map(p):
    print(" _"*5)
    for c in CELLS:
        print("|X" if c==p else "|_", end="" if c[0]<4 else "|\n")

But this might not be as easy to understand for most students of a "Beginner" level course. :wink:

Nader Alharbi
Nader Alharbi
2,253 Points
Nader Alharbi
Nader Alharbi
2,253 Points

You Sir ... you keep impressing me every time i read one of your comments! Keep up the good work, your code is much easier to read and understand than the long one. I didn't even know that i could include my if conditions in the print function !