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Python Python Basics (2015) Logic in Python Try and Except

Posted by Pat Dudar
Pat Dudar
2,490 Points

trial.py insert issues

Hi, there! I'm trying to give the argument values x, y the option of being interpreted as strings or integers in my code under a try: statement (see below).

Can this be accomplished with int or str as the name of the function? I don't think this is too complicated, I just think i'm missing something basic. Thanks for your help!

trial.py 
def add(x, y):
try:
    x = int(insert(""))
    y = int(insert(""))
except ValueError:

    a = float(x)
    b = float(y)
    return(a + b)

3 Answers

Wesley Trayer
Wesley Trayer
13,812 Points
Wesley Trayer
Wesley Trayer
13,812 Points

I'm sorry if I don't understand your question, but your goal, as stated in the quiz, is to Try to turn "x" and "y" into floats.

try:
    a = float(x)
    b = float(y)
# More code goes here

return a + b

Hope this helps! :~)

Pat Dudar
Pat Dudar
2,490 Points
Pat Dudar
Pat Dudar
2,490 Points

Hi, Wesley. The main issue is in question three of the quiz regarding the try: block. I'm not sure whether I need to use string or integer to figure out what I'm doing wrong. Again I think I'm overcomplicating it

Challenge Task 3 of 3 You're doing great! Just one more task but it's a bigger one. Right now, we turn everything into a float. That's great so long as we're getting numbers or numbers as a string. We should handle cases where we get a non-number, though. Add a try block before where you turn your arguments into floats. Then add an except to catch the possible ValueError. Inside the except block, return None. If you're following the structure from the videos, add an else: for your final return of the added floats.

Pat Dudar
Pat Dudar
2,490 Points

Here is my script:

def add(x, y): try: a = float(x) b = float(y) except ValueError: return None else: return(a + b)

Wesley Trayer
Wesley Trayer
13,812 Points
Wesley Trayer
Wesley Trayer
13,812 Points

Sorry I took a while to reply.

It looks like your script is correct, at least, I don't see anything wrong. But here is my code, perhaps you can spot a difference.

def add(x, y):
    try:        # This "try" will check to see if "x" and "y" can be converted to floats
        a = float(x)    # "trying" to assign a float equal to "x" to "a"
        b = float(y)    # "trying" to assign a float equal to "y" to "b"
    except ValueError:    # If there is a ValueError, eg. x or y is not an integer then...
        return None    # return None
    else:        # If there is no ValueError...
        return a + b    # return a + b, which are equal to the floats of x and y.