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Python Python Basics (2015) Shopping List App Refactor

Cory Ramirez
Cory Ramirez
4,257 Points

Refractoring

Hi guys.. I can't seem to figure out the point of this refactoring exercise. What am I missing? I created the main function, with no input parameters. Please help!

shopping_list.py
def main():
show_help()

# make a list to hold onto our items
shopping_list = []

while True:
    # ask for new items
    new_item = input("> ")

    # be able to quit the app
    if new_item == 'DONE':
        break
    elif new_item == 'HELP':
        show_help()
        continue
    elif new_item == 'SHOW':
        show_list(shopping_list)
        continue
    add_to_list(shopping_list, new_item)

show_list(shopping_list)

def show_help():
    # print out instructions on how to use the app
    print("What should we pick up at the store?")
    print("""
Enter 'DONE' to stop adding items.
Enter 'HELP' for this help.
Enter 'SHOW' to see your current list.
""")

def show_list(shopping_list):
    # print out the list
    print("Here's your list:")

    for item in shopping_list:
        print(item)

def add_to_list(shopping_list, new_item):
    # add new items to our list
    shopping_list.append(new_item)
    print("Added {}. List now has {} items.".format(new_item, len(shopping_list)))
    return shopping_list

4 Answers

Chris Freeman
MOD
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,426 Points

The contents of the new main() function needs to be indented. I marked the start and end of the indention in the comments below.

def main():
    show_help()    # This line was indented 4-spaces along with the ones below

    # make a list to hold onto our items
    shopping_list = []

    while True:
        # ask for new items
        new_item = input("> ") 

        # be able to quit the app
        if new_item == 'DONE':
            break
        elif new_item == 'HELP':
            show_help()
            continue
        elif new_item == 'SHOW':
            show_list(shopping_list)
            continue
        add_to_list(shopping_list, new_item)

    show_list(shopping_list)    # Last line indented 4-spaces along with the ones above

def show_help():
    # print out instructions on how to use the app
    print("What should we pick up at the store?")
    print("""
Enter 'DONE' to stop adding items.
Enter 'HELP' for this help.
Enter 'SHOW' to see your current list.
""")

def show_list(shopping_list):
    # print out the list
    print("Here's your list:")

    for item in shopping_list:
        print(item)

def add_to_list(shopping_list, new_item):
    # add new items to our list
    shopping_list.append(new_item)
    print("Added {}. List now has {} items.".format(new_item, len(shopping_list)))
    return shopping_list

Try indenting your code in the function.

Cory Ramirez
Cory Ramirez
4,257 Points

Hmm. Which portion(s) exactly?

def main():  
    show_help()
# make a list to hold onto our items
    shopping_list = []
    while True:
    # ask for new items
        new_item = input("> ")
    # be able to quit the app
        if new_item == 'DONE':
            break
        elif new_item == 'HELP':
            show_help()
            continue
        elif new_item == 'SHOW':
            show_list(shopping_list)
            continue
            add_to_list(shopping_list, new_item)
            show_list(shopping_list)
# I spent a good 30 minutes on this so let me explain the keys. Don't use spaces! Use tabs. Have the function start
# at the leftmost point. show_help() is 1 tab indented. The While Loop is parallel to the show_help(). Then every
#thing inside the while loop is indented by 1 tab. Everything inside the conditional statements is indented by 1 tab also
# so that the contents of the conditional statements are parallel. Therefore the break and continue keyword are 
# indented exactly 2 tabs from the while keyword and 1 tab from the if or elif keyword.