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Python Python Collections (Retired) Dungeon Game Random Choices

Posted by Halcyon Abraham Ramirez
Halcyon Abraham Ramirez
846 Points

Python collections. random choice. challenge task 1

I swear to go is it me or are the code challenges and the video lectures before each challenge are a quantum leap in difficulty?

I mean hey. the random choice lecture was 2 minutes long explaining random choice and now the code challenge wants multiple random choices from an iterable where it was never even mentioned in the lecture how to do so.

am I missing something?

choices.py 
import random
def nchoices(x,y):
  lists = []
  lists.append(random.choice(x,y))
  return lists

8 Answers

Chris Freeman
MOD
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points

Create a function named nchoices() that takes an iterable and an integer. The function should return a list of n random items from the iterable where n is the integer. Duplicates are allowed.

Modifying your code slightly,

Edit: updated code for clarity

import random

def nchoices(iterable, n):
    '''Take an iterable and an integer and 
    return a list of n random items from the 
    iterable, where n is the integer.
    Duplicates are allowed.
    '''
    # initialize empty list for results
    results = []
    for index in range(n): #<-- Add loop to run "n" times
        # pick random item
        pick = random.choice(iterable)
        # append pick to results list
        results.append(pick) #<-- in each loop, choose random item from "iterable" and append to results list
    # after looping complete, return results list
    return results
Carina De Jager
Carina De Jager
1,779 Points

my code is set up just like this one. But it tells me that it returned 1 item instead of 5...? How do you get it to make more than one random selection without having to do multiple lines of the exact same code?

Carina De Jager
Carina De Jager
1,779 Points

This is the set up I currently have.

import random

def nchoices(iterable, n):
  newlist = []
  for index in range(n):
    sample = random.choice(iterable)
    newlist.append(sample)
    return newlist

It says it returns a list of 1 when it expected 5.

[edit: formatting --cf]

Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points

Carina, After reformatting your code, it looks like your return statement is inside the for loop which makes the function return at the end of its first iteration. Hence only 1 random item will be returned.

Try unindenting the return statement to align with the for statement.

Carina De Jager
Carina De Jager
1,779 Points

ACK!!!! Thank you very much!!! Something so small and simple and I've been going crazy for days trying to fix it... Finding this very frustrating with no coding experience. I really appreciate your help. Thanks again.

Nick Miller
Nick Miller
4,417 Points
Nick Miller
Nick Miller
4,417 Points

I have to somewhat agree with the OP's statement about the code challenges often being a lot more complex than their accompanying videos. I understand that the code challenges are a good opportunity to apply everything we've learned (not just the one video). That being said, some of these challenges can be pretty difficult. The OP is right, we went from a quick video that explained one simple function to a code challenge that required us to apply several advanced (for us) topics.

Speaking of which, when did we learn how to loop through a function n times? Even if we did learn how to do that, I'm sure we didn't learn how to loop through something n times where n is equal to a function's argument.

Kenneth Love
Kenneth Love
Treehouse Guest Teacher
Kenneth Love
Kenneth Love
Treehouse Guest Teacher

We've gone over for loops and range() multiple times both in this course and in Python Basics. A value coming in as an argument is no different than you having it set as a variable. Yeah, the combination of all of these might be new but you're going to run into hundreds of new things as you do programming.

That said, this course is due for an overhaul and will probably get one this summer.

Peter Rzepka
Peter Rzepka
4,118 Points
Peter Rzepka
Peter Rzepka
4,118 Points

Halcyon Abraham Ramirez I swear to go is it me or are the code challenges and the video lectures before each challenge are a quantum leap in difficulty?

Posted by Kenneth

"That said, this course is due for an overhaul and will probably get one this summer."

Please!!!! i would appreciate it if you did the quiz questions in the lecture and b r o k e t h e m d o w n doing it in work spaces and then having them do the same thing on the quiz. i wanted to honestly give up after dictionaries. but googled the answers so i can get the badge. but i honestly have been having a hard time knowing what your trying to quiz on cause the questions are so vague...

Emmet Lowry
Emmet Lowry
10,196 Points
Emmet Lowry
Emmet Lowry
10,196 Points

Hi Chris could u break that down a bit more for me . Im finding it hard to get what its asking thanks

Emmet Lowry
Emmet Lowry
10,196 Points
Emmet Lowry
Emmet Lowry
10,196 Points

Thanks for that wondering could u please explain some of the core concepts eg dictionarys and lists a little bit . I an finding python difficult and help on it to make it easier would be fantastic thanks.

Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points

It might be best to repost this as a new forum question.

Annie Scott
Annie Scott
27,613 Points
Annie Scott
Annie Scott
27,613 Points 
import random

def nchoices(n,y):
  random_items = []
  for i in range(y):
    random_items.append(random.choice(n))

  return random_items
Blake Handson
Blake Handson
1,642 Points
Blake Handson
Blake Handson
1,642 Points

The question is rather ambiguous.It's not actually returning a list of 'n random' items, n is in fact a set value am I not correct? It is then choosing a 'random' item from that particular loop instance based on the passed in 'n' value. So I suppose technically, you are receiving a list of random items, however, the number of times you loop is not based on a random n value which is how I read the question. In saying that I am happy to admit I am completely mis-interpreting what was being asked in the question haha

Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,441 Points

I would read "n" as the "number of random values to be chosen"

Let's break down the task description into input, guts, outputs, and misc info:

  • "Create a function named nchoices() that takes an iterable and an integer [, say n,]...." (inputs)
  • "The function should return a list of n random items..." (output)
  • "...[the] n random items [are chosen] from the iterable, where n is the [input] integer." (guts)
  • "Duplicates are allowed." (misc info)
Alexey Li
Alexey Li
8,936 Points
Alexey Li
Alexey Li
8,936 Points 
import random

def nchoices(itr, int_1):
    list_of_n = []
    while int_1 > 0:
        random_item = random.choice(itr)
        list_of_n.append(random_item)
        int_1 -= 1
    return list_of_n