Beginner trying to understand functions.

[Bruno Desthuilliers]

simonh a écrit :
> Thanks for the extra tips Ivan and Bruno. Here is how the program
> looks now. Any problems?
> 
> 
> 
> import sys
> 
> def get_name():
>     name = input('Please enter your name: ')
>     print('Hello', name)

This one would be better spelled "get_and_display_name" !-)

> def get_age():
>         try:
>             return int(input('Please enter your age: '))
>         except ValueError:
>             print('That was not a valid number. Please try again.')
>             return get_age()

Warning : there's a recursion limit in Python. While there are very few 
chances you hit it in this case, it may bite you one day if you start 
using recursion instead of iteration.


> def check_age(age,min=18,max=31):
>     if age < min:
>         print('Sorry, too young.')
>     elif age >= max:
>         print('Sorry, too old.')
>     else:
>         print('Come on in!')
> 
> def again():
>     response = input('Try again? Y or N: ')
>     while response != "Y":

You probably mean 'if response != "Y"' ?

>         if response == 'N':
>             print('Program finished.')
>             input('Press any key to exit.')
>             sys.exit()
>         else:
>             return response

This return value is never used in the calling code. And if the user 
types anything else than "Y" or "N", the program will exit without even 
a goodbye message.

>     run()


> def run():
>     get_name()
>     a = get_age()
>     check_age(a)
>     again()


As far as I'm concerned, I'd write it that way:

def read_string(question, error=''):
     if not error:
         error = "That was not a valid string. Please try again."
     while True:
         result = input(question).strip()
         if result:
             return result
         else:
            print error

def read_int(question, error=''):
    if not error:
        error = "That was not a valid number. Please try again."
     while True:
         try:
             return int(input(question).strip())
         except ValueError:
             print(error)


def check_in_range(obj, mini, maxi, if_ok=0, if_lesser=-1, if_greater=1)
       if obj < mini:
           return if_lesser
       elif age >= max:
           return if_greater
       else:
           return if_ok


def again(question="Try again ?", yes="Y", no="N"):
      # XXX : see appropriate string formatting for Python 3
      # in 2.x, I'd write it as:
      # prompt = "%s (%s or %s): " % (question, yes, no)
      prompt = question + " " + yes" + " or " + no + ": "
      while True:
          response = input(prompt)
          if response in (yes, no):
              return response == yes

def run():
    name = read_string("Please enter your name: ")
    print("Hello, ", name)
    age = read_int("Please enter your age: ")
    messages = {
         0: "Come on in!",
         -1: "Sorry, too young",
         1: "Sorry, too old",
         }
    message_key = check_in_range(age, 18, 31)
    print(messages[message_key])

def main():
     while True:
         run()
         if not again():
             print('Program finished.')
             input('Press any key to exit.')
             return


if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()


NB : the 'if __name__ == "__main__"' will allow you to use your code as 
both a script (ie : calling it as 'main' program) or as a module 
(importing it from within another script or module so you can reuse the 
functions), by only calling 'main()' if the file is used as a script.

HTH