Semi-Newbie needs a little help

[MRAB]

Nile wrote:
[snip]
> I initialized the dictionary earlier in the program like this -
> 
>   hashtable = {}
> 
> I changed the "dict" to hashtable but I still get the same result
> I will try to learn about the defaultdict but I'm just trying to keep
> it as simple as I can for now
> 
> Revised code
> 
> for x in range(len(file_list)):
> 	d = open(file_list[x] , "r")
> 	data = d.readlines()

What's the point of the following line?

> 	k = 0
> 	k = above_or_below(data)
> 	print "here is the value that was returned ",k
> 	hashtable[k] = hashtable.get(k,0) + 1
> 
> 
> hashtable_list = hashtable.values()
> print "here is a list of the dictionary values ", hashtable_list
> print "the length of the dictionary is ", len(hashtable)
> 
> Output
> # The first 3 lines are printed from the function
> # right before the return statement.  This output
> # snippet shows the last two stocks.  The function
> # SAYS it is returning the correct value but only
> # the last date seems to make it to the hashtable

> Function will return k which = 11/11/2008
> Function will return k which = 11/12/2008
> Function will return k which = 11/14/2008
> 
> # this line is printed from the code above
> # I don't understand why all three dates don't
> # seem to make it to the main program.  Only
> # the last date seems to be recognized
> here is the value that was returned 11/14/2008
> 
> Function will return k which = 11/11/2008
> Function will return k which = 11/12/2008
> Function will return k which = 11/14/2008
> here is the value that was returned 11/14/2008
> here is a list of the dictionary values [5]
> the length of the dictionary is 1
>> Exit code: 0

I think there's a bug in 'above_or_below' which you haven't noticed.