[Tutor] Trying to enter text from a file to a Dictionary

[Bob Gailer]

Alan Gauld wrote:
> Hi Ben,
>
>   
>> I want to enter the words and definitions from the  text file into the 
>> dict.
>> The way the text file is set up is that one  line is the word and the
>> next line is the definition.
>>     
>
>   
>>  I tried using a for loop like this
>>
>>  f = open('glossary.txt','r')
>>  gloss = {}
>>
>>  for line in f:
>>      gloss[line] = line
>>     
>
> The problem that you have is that you really need to read two lines at a 
> time.
> (Assuming that the definitions are all on one line which may not be true!)
> A while loop may be easier in this case.
>
> A for loop will read each line individually. You then need to set a 
> definition
> flag to tell the loop body whether you are reading a definition or a key.
>
> Either type of loop is possible. Since you started with a for loop lets 
> stick with it...
>
> definition = False
> currentKey = None
>
> for line in f:
>     if isDefinition:
>        gloss[currentKey] = line
>        currentKey = None
>        isDefinition = False
>     else:
>        currentKey = line
>        isDefinition = True
>   
Or you can use next():

for line in f:
    gloss[line] = f.next()

> If the definitions take up more than one line each then you will need to 
> think
> about how to identify the end of a definition - a blank line maybe? You will
> need to append the lines to the glossary entry (rather than just assign 
> them)
> until the end of the definition. And you will need to update the 
> isDefinition
> flag at the appropriate times.
>
> HTH,
>
> Alan G
> Author of the learn to program web tutor
> http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld
>
>
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