Question on List

[Chris]

On Jun 27, 9:51 am, subhabrata.i... at hotmail.com wrote:
> Dear All,
> I am trying to write the following code:
>
> def try1(n):
>         a1="God Godess Borother Sister Family"
>         a2=a1.split()
>         a3=raw_input("PRINT A WORD")
>         a4=a1.find(a3)
>         print a4
>         a5=[]
>         if a4>0:
>                 a5=a2.index(a3)
>                 a6=a5+1
>                 a7=a2[a6]
>                 print "The new word is"
>                 print a7
>                 a8=a5.append(a7)
>                 print a5
>         elif a4<0:
>                 a11=a3
>                 print "The word is not availiable in String"
>                 print a11
>                 a6=a5.append(a11)
>                 print a5
>         else:
>                 print "Error"
>
> Now, my question is I like to see a5 or the empty list as appended
> with elements. Results I am getting is a5 giving single value like
> ['God'],['Godess']... but I like to see it as ['God','Godess'...] etc.
> Am I going wrong?
> Do I have to rethink it in some other way?
> If any one can kindly let me know.
> Best Regards,
> Subhabrata.

First notes, the string .find() method return -1 for not found and
zero or above if the search string is present.  Remember you count
from zero.  Secondly, list .append() methods do not return a new list
but modify the list in place.  Thirdly, the .index() method of a list
requires an integer and not a string.  And lastly, indentation should
be 4 spaces not 8.

Just doing a sloppy job on the code (and my interpretation of what you
wanted)

def try1(n):
    new_list = []
    input_string="God Godess Borother Sister Family"
    while n:
        user_selection=raw_input("PRINT A WORD")
        if input_string.find(user_selection) > -1:
            s = input_string.split()
            i = [i for i,j in enumerate(s) if j == user_selection]
            new_word = s[i+1]
            print 'The new word is %s' % new_word
            new_list.append(new_word)
            print new_list
        else:
            print 'User selection of "%s" not in the string.' %
user_selection
            new_list.append(user_selection)
            print new_list
        n -= 1

Obviously I'm going to assume that the code you posted excluded your
loop control for the "try n amount of times".  What was most likely
the cause is that you loop through your structure for every attempt of
the n times but each time you reset your list when you re-create it.

Hope that helps some.
Chris