[Tutor] Print List

[Alan Gauld]

On 12/09/12 16:36, Ashley Fowler wrote:

> def printList(lists):
>      print("First Name\tLast Name\tCredits\tGPA")
>      for i in lists:
>          print (i)
>
>
> Any Suggestions or Corrections?

The input parameter is called 'lists' which implies that the input is 
more than one list. Try to make your input parameter names as accurate 
as possible. In this case you might think 'list' would be good, but its 
no, because list is a Python builtin word. So we would be better to 
choose something like aList or theList.

Your function could have been generic in that it printed any kind of 
list but by printing a header line you have made it specific to a list 
of students. So you could call the input studentList.

In general, in Python, generic functions are favoured. One way to have a 
header and be generic would be to pass the header in as a parameter too:

def printList(theList, theHeader=""):
    print(theHeader)
    for item in theList:
       print item


And then you would call it with:

printList(myStudentList, "First Name\tLast Name\tCredits\tGPA")

Or

printList(myPetList, "Name, Breed, Age")

Or

printList(myBlankList)   # uses the default empty header

or whatever...

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