[SOLVED] Learning Python beginner Help

toli · 01-29-2012, 06:13 PM

Hi guys,

I just started to learn Python and I`m a beginner in programming at all. Now I`m trying to get input from user, but when there is no value I get an error and could not continue with my loop.

Code:

while guest_age == '' or guest_age == 0:
	guest_age=input("Your age: ")

This returns an error if the user just press enter.

Code:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<pyshell#150>", line 2, in <module>
    guest_age=input("Your age: ")
  File "<string>", line 0
    
   ^
SyntaxError: unexpected EOF while parsing

Thank you

toli · 01-30-2012, 03:32 AM

I was thinking tha will be easy to discover for you guys, but it seams the issue is hard to discover..

EricTRA · 01-30-2012, 03:39 AM

Hi,

I'm no developer or Python 'guru', just started learning (and still learning) Python a couple of months ago but it might be a good idea to post your entire script and not just a small part. Furthermore, you might have to exercise some patience, we're all volunteers here putting in our free time. Bumping your thread like this might have an opposite effect.

Kind regards,

Eric

firstfire · 01-30-2012, 03:47 AM

Hi.

Try

Code:

guest_age=raw_input("Your age: ")

Python help says

Quote:

Type: builtin_function_or_method
Base Class: <type 'builtin_function_or_method'>
String Form: <built-in function input>
Namespace: Python builtin
Docstring:
input([prompt]) -> value

Equivalent to eval(raw_input(prompt)).

I think the problem is in eval('') call (with empty string as argument).

toli · 01-30-2012, 01:40 PM

Thank you for your replay guys,

I`m practicing with all the knowedge I have till the moment the code it self works fine, but if the user hits enter without value there the problem is...

Here is my code that works, but if all the values are present:

Code:

guest_name=""
guest_age=0

while guest_name == "":
    guest_name = raw_input("What is your name: ")
while guest_age == 0:
    guest_age = input("How old are you: ")
    
compare_name = raw_input("The name of the person you want to compare to: ")
compare_age = input("How old is " + compare_name + "? : ")

if guest_age < compare_age:
    compbig = compare_age - guest_age
    compbigstr = str(compbig)
    print compare_name + " is " + compbigstr + "y. older than " + guest_name
elif guest_age > compare_age:
    guestbig = guest_age - compare_age
    guestbigstr = str(guestbig)
    print guest_name + " is " + guestbigstr + "y. older " + compare_name
else:
   print guest_name + " has the same age as " + compare_name
raw_input("Press <Enter> to exit:")

firstfire · 01-30-2012, 01:58 PM

Hi,

replace all occurences of input("...") by raw_input("...").
raw_input() just reads a string from standard input. That is what you want.
input() reads a string from standard input and evaluates it as a python expression, which is not what you want.

toli · 01-30-2012, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firstfire

Hi,

replace all occurences of input("...") by raw_input("...").
raw_input() just reads a string from standard input. That is what you want.
input() reads a string from standard input and evaluates it as a python expression, which is not what you want.

Thank you,

It works, but I need this value as integer, so after the raw_input I do

Code:

guest_age = int(guest_age)

is this normal in programming ?

Thanks

firstfire · 01-30-2012, 11:19 PM

Hi.

Quote:

Originally Posted by toli

It works, but I need this value as integer, so after the raw_input I do

Code:

guest_age = int(guest_age)

is this normal in programming ?

You should check if guest_age is a valid string before trying to convert it to integer. Look here and here for examples of how to do that.

dugan · 01-31-2012, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firstfire

You should check if guest_age is a valid string before trying to convert it to integer. Look here and here for examples of how to do that.

True, and both links correctly recommend the Pythonic idiom of wrapping the conversion in try... except.

However, since you obviously want a non-negative integer, I would just test it with:

Code:

if guest_age.is_digit():

firstfire · 01-31-2012, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

However, since you obviously want a non-negative integer, I would just test it with:

Code:

if guest_age.is_digit():

Agree, but it should be

Code:

if guest_age.isdigit():

(without underscore)