[Tutor] Re: Suggestions for cleaner code

[Lee Harr]

# list of tuples (description, message)
# make sure your "exit" choice is last in the list
messages = [('Greeting', 'Hello.'),
                ('Discussion', 'I should have paid more attention in math 
classes.'),
                ('Question', 'Why did I sleep through class?'),
                ('Extend', 'Now with simpler extensibility!'),
                ('Farewell', 'Farewell'),
            ]


def show_choices():
    print 'Choose one of the following: '

    # starting with python2.3, use enumerate
    n = 1
    for description, message in messages:
        print '%2s %s' % (n, description)
        n += 1


def show_message(option):
    description, message = messages[option-1]
    print
    print message
    print


def get_input():
    # raw_input is recommended over input
    # in fact, don't use input at all
    while 1:
        try:
            option = int(raw_input('Enter %s - %s : ' % (1, len(messages))))
            if not (1 <= option <= len(messages)):
                continue
            if option == len(messages):
                option = 0
            return option
        except ValueError:
            pass


def main():
    while 1:
        show_choices()
        option = get_input()
        if option:
            show_message(option)
        else:
            show_message(len(messages))
            break



if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

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