(Learner-here) Lists + Functions = headache

[Bradley Wright]

On Sunday, May 5, 2013 9:24:44 PM UTC-4, Bradley Wright wrote:
> On Sunday, May 5, 2013 9:21:33 PM UTC-4, alex23 wrote:
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> > On May 6, 10:59 am, Bradley Wright <bradley.wright.... at gmail.com>
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> > wrote:
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> > > def fizz_cout(x):
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> > >     count = 0
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> > >     for item in x:
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> > >         while item == "fizz":
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> > >             count += 1
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> > >             return count
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> > >
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> > > Please remember that i am a eager beginner, where am i going wrong?
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> > There are several problems with your code:
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> > >     for item in x:
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> > >         while item == "fizz":
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> > >             count += 1
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> > The `for` takes an item out of the list `x`. If that item is the
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> > string 'fizz', it increments count. As it's a `while` loop, it will
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> > continue to increment for as long as `item` is 'fizz'. Since the while
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> > loop doesn't look up another list item, it will remain as 'fizz' until
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> > the end of time. Well, it would except for your second bug:
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> > >         while item == "fizz":
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> > >             count += 1
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> > >             return count
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> > The very first time it encounters a list item that is 'fizz', it adds
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> > one to `count`, then exits the function passing back `count`.
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> > You want to move the return to _outside_ the for loop, and you want to
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> > change your `while` condition to an `if` instead.
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> 
> Thank you Alex - much appreciated, about to implement right now!

Aha! lessons learned - got it!