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Python Python Collections (2016, retired 2019) Sets Out Of This Word Game

Carlos Marin
Carlos Marin
8,009 Points
Posted by Carlos Marin
Carlos Marin
8,009 Points

Extra-credit?

I am working on a function to process the guess. Since I am being tracked by my points, it will be a small project I come work on a little day by day. I wanted to get some feedback on my current code. I am wondering if I should have chosen a try: statement? if so, why?

anyways, here is my function. challenge_word = (list('learner')) guess = (list('earn'))

def check_guess(guess):

    guess_word_list = list(guess)
    challenge_word_list = list(challenge_word)
    match_found_string = ''    
    for index, letter in enumerate(guess_word_list):
        print("checking {}, iteration#{}".format(letter, index))
        for check in challenge_word_list:
            if letter != check:
                print("{} == {}? X".format(letter, check))
            else:
                print("{} == {}? MATCH".format(letter, check))
                match_found_string += check
                break #ends iteration for letter
        if letter not in challenge_word:
                print("This letter was not approved.")
    print("(Iterations complete): approved letters = {}".format(match_found_string))

2 Answers

Binyamin Friedman
Binyamin Friedman
14,615 Points
Binyamin Friedman
Binyamin Friedman
14,615 Points

I don't know what you mean by using a try statement but I do want to point out one flaw in your code:

Currently, eeeeeennnnnnnnnn as a guess would pass with the challenge word "learn." You could fix this by removing the letter from the challenge word list.

Here is fully working code:

# I removed all the print statements, as they are really only for debugging, and renamed variables to make more sense
challenge_word = "learner" # the list() call was unnecessary
guess = "eee" # the list() call was unnecessary

def check_guess(challenge_word, guess): # challenge_word is now being passed into the function
    guess_list = list(guess)
    challenge_word_list = list(challenge_word)
    valid_letters = ""
    for letter in guess_list:
        for compared_letter in challenge_word_list:
            if letter == compared_letter:
                valid_letters += compared_letter
                challenge_word_list.remove(letter) # remove letter from the challenge_word_list so that it can't be used again
                break
    return valid_letters == guess # return true if all the letters are valid

valid_guess = check_guess(challenge_word, guess)
print("Guess is valid" if valid_guess else "Guess is invalid")
Jeff Muday
MOD
Jeff Muday
Treehouse Moderator 28,722 Points
Jeff Muday
Jeff Muday
Treehouse Moderator 28,722 Points

Nice work-- looks like you are getting some good Python experience under your belt.

3 comments:

  1. I like your mastery of the enumerate() function. In my opinion, using the enumeration is cleaner/clearer than using a separate index counter for iteration.

  2. Try/Except blocks are good to know and use. Though they are a little slower than a normal if/then/else block. So I tend to avoid them (if possible) in performance-critical blocks of code

  3. Is the indentation correct on the last if/then? Shouldn't it be nested under the "for loop"?