[Tutor] Running a loop

[Peter Otten]

Jason Barry wrote:

> I am using Windows 7 and python 3.1. This is a block from a slot machine
> code. It takes the random generated words and indicates if it wins or
> loses. I can't figure out why it wants to print the last print statement
> 'Loser' no matter if the elif statements are true.
> 
> import random
> 
> wheel1=['ZOMBIE', 'WITCH', 'CAT', 'GHOST',
> 'CANDY','PUMPKIN','PUMPKIN','CANDY', 'GHOST','CANDY']
> 
> wheel2=['ZOMBIE', 'WITCH', 'CAT', 'GHOST',
> 'CANDY','PUMPKIN','PUMPKIN','CANDY', 'GHOST','CANDY']
> 
> wheel3=['ZOMBIE', 'WITCH', 'CAT', 'GHOST',
> 'CANDY','PUMPKIN','PUMPKIN','CANDY', 'GHOST','CANDY']

The wheels are all the same and you don't plan to modify them; therefore you 
can use a single wheel variable for all wheels in the slot machine

> wheel1index=''

No need to initialise the variable with a dummy value when you proceed to 
see the real value immediately afterwards.

> wheel1index=wheel1[random.randint(0, len(wheel1) - 1)]
> wheel2index=wheel2[random.randint(0, len(wheel2) - 1)]
> wheel3index=wheel3[random.randint(0, len(wheel3) - 1)]

Have a look at random.choice() which has the same effect. Also, consider 
putting the results into a list as in

chosen = [random.choice(wheel) for dummy in range(3)]

> winning=0

Unused variable.

> def checkwin (wheel1index, wheel2index, wheel3index):

You can shorten this function considerably with the help of sets and dicts. 
A complete example script:

import random
from collections import Counter

wheel = ['zombie', 'witch', 'cat', 'ghost', 
'candy','pumpkin','pumpkin','candy', 'ghost','candy']

_plurals = {
    "witch": "witches",
    "candy": "candies"}

def plural(word):
    return _plurals.get(word, word + "s")

def checkwin (chosen):
    chosen_dict = Counter(chosen)
    if len(chosen_dict) == 1:
        print("wins {}.".format(plural(chosen[0])))
    elif chosen_dict == {"witch": 2, "cat": 1}:
        print("wins witches and cat")
    elif chosen_dict == {"pumpkin": 2, "ghost": 1}:
        print("wins pumpkins and ghost")
    elif chosen_dict.keys() == {"candy", "pumpkin", "ghost"}:
        print("wins pumpkin, ghost, and candy.")
    else:
        print("Loser")

for i in range(1000):
    chosen = [random.choice(wheel) for wheel_index in range(3)]
    print(" ".join(chosen).ljust(25), end=" --> ")
    checkwin(chosen)