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

Posted by Motty Neuwirth
Motty Neuwirth
Courses Plus Student 1,315 Points

Python Collections. Dictionaries. Word Count Challenge. The correct solution does not pass

I guess this might be not the cleanest solution. Still it's correct. And it doesn't pass. Any mistakes or improvements?

def word_count (s): s1 = s.lower() arr = s1.split(' ') dcn = {} for i in arr: if i in dcn: dcn[i] += 1 dcn.update({i: dcn[i]}) else: ctn = 1 dcn.update({i: ctn}) return dcn

wordcount.py 
# E.g. word_count("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 (s):
    s1 = s.lower()
    arr = s1.split(' ')
    dcn = {}
    for i in arr:
        if i in dcn:
            dcn[i] += 1
            dcn.update({i: dcn[i]})
        else:
            ctn = 1
            dcn.update({i: ctn})
    return dcn

2 Answers

Stuart Wright
Stuart Wright
41,119 Points
Stuart Wright
Stuart Wright
41,119 Points

The challenge is being a little picky, but it's this line that's causing it to fail:

    arr = s1.split(' ')

Just change it to this to pass the challenge:

    arr = s1.split()

This is because by default the split() method splits on all whitespace characters, but when you pass ' ' to it, it only splits on a regular space character (there are other types of whitespace characters such as tabs for example).

As for the rest of your code, if I was to suggest one improvement it would be to use more descriptive variable names. I always find that makes code easier to follow.

James Peter
James Peter
3,180 Points
James Peter
James Peter
3,180 Points

Python Collection: Dictionaries - word_count challenge

Was struck with the same.

Was able to complete the challenge by changing it to .split() Thanks Stuart.

Motty Neuwirth
PLUS
Motty Neuwirth
Courses Plus Student 1,315 Points
Motty Neuwirth
Motty Neuwirth
Courses Plus Student 1,315 Points

Thanks, Stuart! That solves it