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Average calculation Program *need help*

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  Average calculation Program *need help* kobsx4@gmail.com - 2016-05-12 08:47 -0700
    Re: Average calculation Program *need help* Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2016-05-12 09:01 -0700
    Re: Average calculation Program *need help* Igor Korot <ikorot01@gmail.com> - 2016-05-12 12:06 -0400
      Re: Average calculation Program *need help* DFS <nospam@dfs.com> - 2016-05-12 19:45 -0400
    Re: Average calculation Program *need help* "Martin A. Brown" <martin@linux-ip.net> - 2016-05-12 09:13 -0700
    Re: Average calculation Program *need help* MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2016-05-12 17:14 +0100
    Re: Average calculation Program *need help* Jake Kobs <kobsx4@gmail.com> - 2016-05-12 21:22 -0700
      Re: Average calculation Program *need help* Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2016-05-13 14:55 +1000
      Re: Average calculation Program *need help* Michael Torrie <torriem@gmail.com> - 2016-05-12 22:57 -0600
        Re: Average calculation Program *need help* Jake Kobs <kobsx4@gmail.com> - 2016-05-12 22:03 -0700
          Re: Average calculation Program *need help* Michael Torrie <torriem@gmail.com> - 2016-05-12 23:29 -0600
      Re: Average calculation Program *need help* DFS <nospam@dfs.com> - 2016-05-13 01:12 -0400
    Re: Average calculation Program *need help* Jake Kobs <kobsx4@gmail.com> - 2016-05-12 22:46 -0700
      Re: Average calculation Program *need help* Nick Sarbicki <nick.a.sarbicki@gmail.com> - 2016-05-13 07:10 +0000
        Re: Average calculation Program *need help* Jake Kobs <kobsx4@gmail.com> - 2016-05-13 08:38 -0700
          Re: Average calculation Program *need help* DFS <nospam@dfs.com> - 2016-05-13 12:17 -0400

#108560 — Average calculation Program *need help*

Hello all, I have been struggling with this code for 3 hours now and I'm still stumped. My problem is that when I run the following code:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#this function will get the total scores
def getScores(totalScores, number):
    for counter in range(0, number):
        score = input('Enter their score: ')
        totalScores = totalScores + score
    
    while not (score >= 0 and score <= 100):
        
        print "Your score must be between 0 and 100."
        score = input('Enter their score: ')
        
        
        
    return totalScores
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the program is supposed to find the average of two test scores and if one of the scores is out of the score range (0-100), an error message is displayed. The main problem with this is that when someone types in a number outside of the range, it'll ask them to enter two scores again, but ends up adding all of the scores together (including the invalid ones) and dividing by how many there are. Please help.

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#108561

On Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 9:18:08 PM UTC+5:30, Jake Kobs wrote:
> Hello all, I have been struggling with this code for 3 hours now and I'm still stumped. My problem is that when I run the following code:
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> #this function will get the total scores
> def getScores(totalScores, number):
>     for counter in range(0, number):
>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>         totalScores = totalScores + score
>     
>     while not (score >= 0 and score <= 100):
>         
>         print "Your score must be between 0 and 100."
>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>         
>         
>         
>     return totalScores
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> the program is supposed to find the average of two test scores and if one of the scores is out of the score range (0-100), an error message is displayed. The main problem with this is that when someone types in a number outside of the range, it'll ask them to enter two scores again, but ends up adding all of the scores together (including the invalid ones) and dividing by how many there are. Please help.

I suggest you conceptualize the problem into 3 sub-problems:
- IO
- average computation
- validation (between 0 and 100)

For starters ignore validation.
So we only have IO + computation
ie Input then computation then Output

Now if your input needs to feed into a computation you need a *data-structure*
I suggest you consider lists
eg the 5 scores
4
2
1
3
5
would be represented as the list [4,2,1,3,5]
Their average -- 3 -- is to be *computed* and then to be given back to the user
-- ie *output*

Does this help start you off?

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#108562

Hi,

On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 11:47 AM,  <kobsx4@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello all, I have been struggling with this code for 3 hours now and I'm still stumped. My problem is that when I run the following code:
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> #this function will get the total scores
> def getScores(totalScores, number):
>     for counter in range(0, number):
>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>         totalScores = totalScores + score
>
>     while not (score >= 0 and score <= 100):
>
>         print "Your score must be between 0 and 100."
>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>
>
>
>     return totalScores
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> the program is supposed to find the average of two test scores and if one of the scores is out of the score range (0-100), an error message is displayed. The main problem with this is that when someone types in a number outside of the range, it'll ask them to enter two scores again, but ends up adding all of the scores together (including the invalid ones) and dividing by how many there are. Please help.

Can you solve this problem with just pen and paper?
Do that and then translate the algorithm to python.

Thank you.

> --
> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list

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#108570

On 5/12/2016 12:06 PM, Igor Korot wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 11:47 AM,  <kobsx4@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hello all, I have been struggling with this code for 3 hours now and I'm still stumped. My problem is that when I run the following code:
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> #this function will get the total scores
>> def getScores(totalScores, number):
>>     for counter in range(0, number):
>>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>>         totalScores = totalScores + score
>>
>>     while not (score >= 0 and score <= 100):
>>
>>         print "Your score must be between 0 and 100."
>>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>>
>>
>>
>>     return totalScores
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> the program is supposed to find the average of two test scores and if one of the scores is out of the score range (0-100), an error message is displayed. The main problem with this is that when someone types in a number outside of the range, it'll ask them to enter two scores again, but ends up adding all of the scores together (including the invalid ones) and dividing by how many there are. Please help.
>
> Can you solve this problem with just pen and paper?
> Do that and then translate the algorithm to python.


"It’s very simple — you read the protocol and write the code."

https://www.salon.com/2000/05/16/chapter_2_part_one/

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#108563

Greetings kobsx4,

>Hello all, I have been struggling with this code for 3 hours now 
>and I'm still stumped. My problem is that when I run the following 
>code:

>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>#this function will get the total scores
>def getScores(totalScores, number):
>    for counter in range(0, number):
>        score = input('Enter their score: ')
>        totalScores = totalScores + score
>    
>    while not (score >= 0 and score <= 100):
>        
>        print "Your score must be between 0 and 100."
>        score = input('Enter their score: ')
>        
>        
>        
>    return totalScores
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>the program is supposed to find the average of two test scores and 
>if one of the scores is out of the score range (0-100), an error 
>message is displayed. The main problem with this is that when 
>someone types in a number outside of the range, it'll ask them to 
>enter two scores again, but ends up adding all of the scores 
>together (including the invalid ones) and dividing by how many 
>there are. Please help.

Suggestion #1: 
--------------
When you are stuck on a small piece of code, set it aside (stop 
looking at it) and start over again; sometimes rewriting with 
different variable names and a clean slate helps to highlight the 
problem.

Professional programmers will tell you that they are quite 
accustomed to 'throwing away' code.  Don't be afraid to do it.

(While you are still learning, you might want to keep the old chunk 
of code around to examine so that you can maybe figure out what you 
did wrong.)
  

Suggestion #2:
--------------
Put a print statement or two in the loop, so that you see how your 
variables are changing.  For example, just before your 'while' line, 
maybe something like:

  print "score=%d totalScores=%d" % (score, totalScores,)


Suggestion #3:
--------------
Break the problem down even smaller (Rustom Mody appears to have 
beat me to the punch on that suggestion, so I'll just point to his 
email.)


Hint #1:
--------
What is the value of your variable totalScores each time through the 
loop?  Does it ever get reset?

Good luck with your degubbing!

-Martin

-- 
Martin A. Brown
http://linux-ip.net/

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#108564

On 2016-05-12 16:47, kobsx4@gmail.com wrote:
> Hello all, I have been struggling with this code for 3 hours now and I'm still stumped. My problem is that when I run the following code:
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> #this function will get the total scores
> def getScores(totalScores, number):
>     for counter in range(0, number):
>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>         totalScores = totalScores + score
>
>     while not (score >= 0 and score <= 100):
>
>         print "Your score must be between 0 and 100."
>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>
>
>
>     return totalScores
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> the program is supposed to find the average of two test scores and if one of the scores is out of the score range (0-100), an error message is displayed. The main problem with this is that when someone types in a number outside of the range, it'll ask them to enter two scores again, but ends up adding all of the scores together (including the invalid ones) and dividing by how many there are. Please help.
>
Basically what you want is:

     repeat as many times as there are scores you want:
         ask for the score

         while it's invalid:
             ask for it again

         add it to the total

What you're actually doing is asking for the scores and adding them 
_before_ checking. Don't include something before you've checked that 
it's OK.

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#108573

On Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 10:48:08 AM UTC-5, Jake Kobs wrote:
> Hello all, I have been struggling with this code for 3 hours now and I'm still stumped. My problem is that when I run the following code:
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> #this function will get the total scores
> def getScores(totalScores, number):
>     for counter in range(0, number):
>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>         totalScores = totalScores + score
>     
>     while not (score >= 0 and score <= 100):
>         
>         print "Your score must be between 0 and 100."
>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>         
>         
>         
>     return totalScores
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> the program is supposed to find the average of two test scores and if one of the scores is out of the score range (0-100), an error message is displayed. The main problem with this is that when someone types in a number outside of the range, it'll ask them to enter two scores again, but ends up adding all of the scores together (including the invalid ones) and dividing by how many there are. Please help.
 
I still can't get it. Someone please tell me lol. I have done everything I can and still I get bad answers.

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#108574

Jake Kobs <kobsx4@gmail.com> writes:

> I still can't get it. Someone please tell me lol. I have done
> everything I can and still I get bad answers.

You may want to join our dedicated beginner tutoring forum
<URL:https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor>, which specialises
in collaborative teaching of the fundamentals of Python.

-- 
 \         “If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we |
  `\           despise, we don't believe in it at all.” —Noam Chomsky, |
_o__)                                                       1992-11-25 |
Ben Finney

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#108575

On 05/12/2016 10:22 PM, Jake Kobs wrote:
> On Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 10:48:08 AM UTC-5, Jake Kobs wrote:
>> Hello all, I have been struggling with this code for 3 hours now and I'm still stumped. My problem is that when I run the following code:
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> #this function will get the total scores
>> def getScores(totalScores, number):
>>     for counter in range(0, number):
>>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>>         totalScores = totalScores + score
>>     
>>     while not (score >= 0 and score <= 100):
>>         
>>         print "Your score must be between 0 and 100."
>>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>>         
>>         
>>         
>>     return totalScores
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> the program is supposed to find the average of two test scores and if one of the scores is out of the score range (0-100), an error message is displayed. The main problem with this is that when someone types in a number outside of the range, it'll ask them to enter two scores again, but ends up adding all of the scores together (including the invalid ones) and dividing by how many there are. Please help.
>  
> I still can't get it. Someone please tell me lol. I have done everything I can and still I get bad answers.

Tell us what you've done, precisely.  We're here to help you learn, not
give you the answers.

One thing that strikes me is that your while loop doesn't appear to be
indented properly.  You have it running after all the scores have been
inputted in the for loop, but I suspect this isn't what you want.  You
want the while loop to occur each time through the for loop.  Do you
know how to move this while loop to be inside the for loop?

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#108576

On Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 11:57:28 PM UTC-5, Michael Torrie wrote:
> On 05/12/2016 10:22 PM, Jake Kobs wrote:
> > On Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 10:48:08 AM UTC-5, Jake Kobs wrote:
> >> Hello all, I have been struggling with this code for 3 hours now and I'm still stumped. My problem is that when I run the following code:
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> #this function will get the total scores
> >> def getScores(totalScores, number):
> >>     for counter in range(0, number):
> >>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
> >>         totalScores = totalScores + score
> >>     
> >>     while not (score >= 0 and score <= 100):
> >>         
> >>         print "Your score must be between 0 and 100."
> >>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
> >>         
> >>         
> >>         
> >>     return totalScores
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> the program is supposed to find the average of two test scores and if one of the scores is out of the score range (0-100), an error message is displayed. The main problem with this is that when someone types in a number outside of the range, it'll ask them to enter two scores again, but ends up adding all of the scores together (including the invalid ones) and dividing by how many there are. Please help.
> >  
> > I still can't get it. Someone please tell me lol. I have done everything I can and still I get bad answers.
> 
> Tell us what you've done, precisely.  We're here to help you learn, not
> give you the answers.
> 
> One thing that strikes me is that your while loop doesn't appear to be
> indented properly.  You have it running after all the scores have been
> inputted in the for loop, but I suspect this isn't what you want.  You
> want the while loop to occur each time through the for loop.  Do you
> know how to move this while loop to be inside the for loop?

Im not sure how to move it inside the for loop. I've been working on this small problem for like 4 hours lol.

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#108582

On 05/12/2016 11:03 PM, Jake Kobs wrote:
> Im not sure how to move it inside the for loop. I've been working on
> this small problem for like 4 hours lol.

I'm sorry it's so frustrating.  Sounds like you haven't got down some of
the most basic fundamentals yet.  In Python, things that should happen
one after another are placed at the same indent level on the screen.

For example:

if something:
    do_this()
    then_this()
    then_that()

Everything indented in from the start of the if statement is in a block
and only happens if the if statement condition is true.  If there're
statements at the same level as the if, then they happen *after* the if
and it's block.  In other words, indentation is what tells Python where
you want things to run.  If you want to move the while loop inside the
for loop, you have to adjust it's indentation accordingly (and the
indentation in it's own block).

This is a big gotcha for people unfamiliar with programming in Python,
and unfamiliar with programming in general.  In other languages, indents
don't have to be a certain way, as long as you have the write statements
to close off the loop.  However, Python's method forces you to think
like a programmer and to lay things out on the screen in a logical
fashion, like a writer's outline.

If you're still stuck, you will probably want to sit down with your
teacher and have him or her go over this with you.  This is important
basic stuff you need to have clear in your mind to program computers.

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#108579

On 5/13/2016 12:22 AM, Jake Kobs wrote:
> On Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 10:48:08 AM UTC-5, Jake Kobs wrote:
>> Hello all, I have been struggling with this code for 3 hours now and I'm still stumped. My problem is that when I run the following code:
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> #this function will get the total scores
>> def getScores(totalScores, number):
>>     for counter in range(0, number):
>>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>>         totalScores = totalScores + score
>>
>>     while not (score >= 0 and score <= 100):
>>
>>         print "Your score must be between 0 and 100."
>>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>>
>>
>>
>>     return totalScores
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> the program is supposed to find the average of two test scores and if one of the scores is out of the score range (0-100), an error message is displayed. The main problem with this is that when someone types in a number outside of the range, it'll ask them to enter two scores again, but ends up adding all of the scores together (including the invalid ones) and dividing by how many there are. Please help.
>
> I still can't get it. Someone please tell me lol. I have done everything I can and still I get bad answers.


This seems to work, but I'm new to python and it's probably kludgey.

It will get the avg of however many numbers you enter.

-----------------------------------------------------------
#calcAvg.py

import sys
def getScores(number):
     i, totalScores = 0,0
     while 1:
         score = input('Enter score: ')
         if (score < 0 or score > 100):
             print "Score must be between 0 and 100."
         else:
             totalScores = totalScores + score
             i += 1
	
         if i == number:
             print "Avg of %s scores is %s" % (number, totalScores/number)
             break

nbr = sys.argv[1]
getScore(nbr)
-----------------------------------------------------------

$ python calcAvg.py 3
Enter score: 101
Score must be between 0 and 100.
Enter score: 3
Enter score: 4
Enter score: 5
Avg of 3 scores is 4


$ python calcAvg.py 2
Enter score: 50
Enter score: 60
Avg of 2 scores is 55

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#108583

Thank you for the help..I think I'm getting closer, but I feel like after they enter an invalid number, it should reset the invalid number(s) somehow. Here's my updated code:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#this function will get the total scores
def getScores(totalScores, number):
    for counter in range(0, number):
        score = input('Enter their score: ')
        if (score < 100 and score > 0):
            totalScores = totalScores + score
    while (score > 100 or score < 0):
            
        print "Your scores must be between 0 and 100."
        score = input('Enter their score: ')
        score = input('Enter their score: ')
        totalScores = totalScores + score 
                        
        
    return totalScores
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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#108587

On Fri, 13 May 2016, 06:52 Jake Kobs, <kobsx4@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you for the help..I think I'm getting closer, but I feel like after
> they enter an invalid number, it should reset the invalid number(s)
> somehow. Here's my updated code:
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> #this function will get the total scores
> def getScores(totalScores, number):
>     for counter in range(0, number):
>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>         if (score < 100 and score > 0):
>             totalScores = totalScores + score
>     while (score > 100 or score < 0):
>
>         print "Your scores must be between 0 and 100."
>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>         score = input('Enter their score: ')
>         totalScores = totalScores + score
>
>
>     return totalScores
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
>

You're starting to get it which is good.

The if is a good idea to begin with, but your while loop still executes
after the for loop finishes as it is not properly indented.

As Michael said, indentation indicates what statement has ownership of a
block. Currently your while loop has it's own block outside the for loop.

This means it gets executed after your for loop has finished looping
through your range. You want the while to be held within the for loop so it
gets executed immediately after each input statement.

Think. Your if is inside the for loop and gets executed after every input.
Your input is inside the for loop. Your while and it's contents are not in
the for loop and get executed after the for loop finishes. The only
difference that matters here is indentation.

Try solve that bit first.

>

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#108595

Thank you so much! I finally got it. :)

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#108597

On 5/13/2016 11:38 AM, Jake Kobs wrote:
> Thank you so much! I finally got it. :)


What does it look like?

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