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Python Python Collections (2016, retired 2019) Dictionaries Word Count

Nathan Tutchton
Nathan Tutchton
4,507 Points
Posted by Nathan Tutchton
Nathan Tutchton
4,507 Points

Not sure why my function isn't passing tests..

This function passes the test case in the comments, but it fails the module's hidden tests. Any ideas?

wordcount.py 
# E.g. "I do not like it Sam I Am") gets back a dictionary like:
# {'i': 2, 'do': 1, 'it': 1, 'sam': 1, 'like': 1, 'not': 1, 'am': 1}
# Lowercase the string to make it easier.

def word_count(string):
    words = string.split(" ")
    output = {}
    for word in words:
        word = word.lower()
        try:
            output[word] = output[word]+1
        except KeyError:
             output.update({word : 1})
    return output

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,007 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,007 Points

The challenge actually gives a pretty good hint: " Bummer! Hmm, didn't get the expected output. Be sure you're lowercasing the string and splitting on all whitespace!"

To split on all whitespace, the argument to "split" should be blank. Providing a space argument makes it split only on individual spaces.

Hugo Pinto
Hugo Pinto
5,621 Points

Perfect reply. I wasted minutes trying to .split(" ") until I found this.

Thanks!