[OT] Re: Old Paranoia Game in Python

[Steven Bethard]

Terry Reedy wrote:
> Never saw this specific game.  Some suggestions on additional factoring out 
> of duplicate code.
> 
> 
>>def next_page(this_page):
>>  print "\n"
>>  if this_page == 0:
>>     page = 0
>>     return
> 
> 
> The following elif switch can be replaced by calling a selection from a 
> list of functions:
> 
> [None, page1, pag2, ... page57][this_page]()
> 
> 
>>  elif this_page == 1:
>>     page1()
>>     return
>>  elif this_page == 2:
>>     page2()
>>     return
> 
> ...
> 
>>  elif this_page == 57:
>>     page57()
>>     return
> 
> 
> Also, a chose3 function to complement your chose (chose2) function would 
> avoid repeating the choose-from-3 code used on multiple pages.
> 
> Terry J. Reedy

This is what I love about this list.  Where else is someone going to 
look at 1200+ lines of code and give you useful advice?!  ;)  Very cool. 
  (Thanks Terry!)


While we're making suggestions, you might consider writing dice_roll as:
     def dice_roll(num, sides):
         return sum(random.randrange(sides) for _ in range(num)) + num
for Python 2.4 or
     def dice_roll(num, sides):
         return sum([random.randrange(sides) for _ in range(num)]) + num
for Python 2.3.

You also might consider writing all the pageX methods in a class, so all 
your globals can be accessed through self, e.g.:

class Game(object):
     def __init__(self):
         ...
         self.page = 1
         self.computer_request = 0
         ...

     def page2():
         print ...
         if self.computer_request == 1:
             new_clone(45)
         else:
             new_clone(32)
         ...

You could then have your class implement the iteration protocol:

     def __iter__(self):
         try:
             while True:
                 self.old_page = self.page
                 yield getattr(self, "page%i" % page)
         except AttributeError:
             raise StopIteration

And then your main could look something like:

     def main(args):
        ...
        instructions()
        more()
        character()
        more()
        for page_func in Game():
            page_func()
            print "-"*79

Anyway, cool stuff.  Thanks for sharing!

Steve