[Tutor] objects becoming pointers

[Alan Gauld]

"chris Hynes" <cjhynes36 at hotmail.com> wrote

> I want the user to input a name, say "Chris". I know I can use the code:
> 
> name=raw_input()
>
> I now want:
>
> "Chris"=zeros((3,3))
>
> so that when I type:
>
> print Chris


This is a common misapprehension by beginners. 
But let me ask you something. Since you will be writing your 
program code, including the 

print Chris 

line, how will you know in advance what names your userrs are 
going to input?

I think you will find it easier to create a dictiobnary of user names 
with their associated values:

name = raw_input()
names[name] = value

name = raw_input("Which name was it?")
print names[name]

or even:

for name in names:
   print names[name]

HTH,


-- 
Alan Gauld
Author of the Learn to Program web site
http://www.alan-g.me.uk/