[Tutor] Controling my loops and redundant code?!?

[Jon Moore]

Alan

Many thanks, that is really useful.

I will go through this a bit at a time over the next few days to ensure I
understand what I am doing!

I think functions come in the next chapter!

Jon


On 25/01/06, Alan Gauld <alan.gauld at freenet.co.uk> wrote:
>
> Hi Jon,
>
> > 1. I am sure I have written far more code than required.
> > Where could I have made some shorcuts?
>
> Probably but shortcuts are not necesasarily a good thing
> if they obscure readability...
>
> However one area that would clean it up a bit is if you were to
> use a dictionary rather than lists for the attributes(see below):
>
> > # Set max number of available points
> > POINTS_POOL = 30
>
> Thus duplicates available_points below. You only really need it once...
> although I see that you modify avail... Might be better to do it by
> assigning this constant as the initial value of available_points:
>
> available_points = POINTS_POOL
>
> > # store attribute values
> > attributes = [["Strength", 0], ["Health", 0],
> >                    ["Wisdom", 0], ["Dexterity",0]]
>
> Use a dictionary here instead:
>
> attributes = {'Strength': 0, 'Health':0, 'Wisdom':0, Dexterity:0}
>
> >strength = attributes[0]
> >health = attributes[1]
> >wisdom = attributes[2]
> >dexterity = attributes[3]
>
> and you shouldn't need these now....
>
>
> available_points = 30
> used_points = 0
> attribute_value = ""
>
> choice = None
> while choice != "0":
>    print """
>          -----------------
>          """
>    choice = raw_input("Choice: ")
>
>    # show attributes option
> >    elif choice == "1":
> >         print "Your attributes are as follows:\n"
> >        print "\t",strength[0], strength[1]
>
>         print '\t Strength', attributes['Strength']
>
> is easier to read I think.
>
>    # edit attributes option
> >    elif choice == "2":
> >        # set strength attribute
> >         print "\nYou have",strength[1] + available_points,"points
> >       available."
>
> print '\n You have', attributes['Strength'] + available_points,'points'
>
> Although I personally prefer to use string formatting:
>
> print '\n You have %d points', (attributes['Strength'] + available_points)
>
> >        if attribute_value > (strength[1] + available_points):
>
> Since you do the sum twice I'd store the value up top
>
> avail_strength = attributes['Strength'] + available_points
>
> And use avail_strength in both the print and comparison.
>
> >        strength[1] = attribute_value
> >        used_points = strength[1] + health[1] + wisdom[1] + dexterity[1]
>
> You can use the sum() function here:
>
> used_points = sum(attributes.values())
>
>
> Also since you are repeating almost exactly the same
> code for each attribute you coiuld create a function that
> takes the attribute name as a parameter.
> Have you come across functions yet? If not don't worry
> this approach works it just means more typing and
> multiple changes to fix things.
>
> Hope those points help a little.
>
> Alan G
> Author of the learn to program web tutor
> http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld
>
>
>


--
Best Regards

Jon Moore
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