[Tutor] Stephen Mik-Novice Python Programmer(Version 3.4.0)Can't get help using Dictionaries, Lists to 'Hangman Game Problem"

[Walter Prins]

Hi Stephen,

Firstly 2 requests:

1)  Please do not respond to me personally; instead when interacting
with a mailing list please use "reply-all", removing me (or other
individuals) from the recipient list. You can also use "reply-list" if
your mail program has that option.  There are several reasons for
requesting that you keep the communication on the list, one of which
is that the exchanges between tutors and students are valuable to to
other students, and taking them offline by restricting responses to
one-on-one communication means other can't benefit from seeing these
exchanges.  Another reason is that if you have a one-on-one
conversation with several people, then you end up possibly wasting
several people's time by having multiple individuals potentially doing
the same work by explaining the same things multiple times, not least
due to them not being aware of each other.  This can annoy and waste
people's valuable time and may also deprive other students from having
their questions answered, which is why you should always keep
communications going back to the list whenever possible.  (Imagine you
were trying to help someone with some problem, and you generously
spend an hour crafting a reply, only to find out after the fact that 2
other people have already done the same thing!  You've just
effectively wasted an hour that could've been spent helping someone
else or with your family etc. due to someone not being considerate by
keeping their communications on the mailing list.)

2) Please set your email client to use plain text, and ensure you
properly format your emails with copious use of paragraphs.   Your
emails are coming through on my mail client as essentially one big
paragraph.  This makes it harder than it needs to be to read and
respond to.

In response to your email, see below:

On 5 May 2014 17:58, Stephen Mik <mik.stephen at yahoo.com> wrote:
> However,time wise I am "up against it". The Hangman program is due by
> Friday,May 9,2014. The next assignment;assignment 7,a Tic-Tac-Toe game with
> a LOT of functions is due sometime in the week of May11-May 15,2014.

There's a fully working Tic-Tac-Toe game presented in the textbook.
What are you supposed to do for the next assignment?  Get started on
it now and it may well be finished well before this deadline. :)   As
with my previous email: PLEASE POST THE EXACT ASSIGNMENT TEXT.  Do not
paraphrase, do not summarize.  Give as much information as possible
about what is expected of you.

> And the
> Final Exam,which we are NOT to use the Textbook or written notes,or the
> Internet, is scheduled for Friday morning,May 15,2014. It is comprehensive
> and covers the first 6 chapters of the Textbook.We are only allowed a Flash
> Drive,a "toolkit" of programs from the Textbook,and a computer in which
> Python 3.4.0 is to be run. As you can see that I am under a LOT of PRESSURE
> in the next 11 days!

Then you need to practice as much as you can in the next 11 days.
Write your own programs using all the constructs you've learned so far
until you're totally comfortable with all the material.  Play with the
Python interpreter.  Be totally comfortable with how it works etc.  If
you do that, you should have no problem with the exam, I would've
thought.

Also, start creating your toolkit *now*.  Put Python on there (if
you're expected and/or allowed to), and start working with your
toolkit now.  Use it as much as you can until it becomes a familiar
and relatively comfortable place to be.  Put snippets of code from the
book on there , possibly put the entire source library from the book
(which I posted earlier) on there, if you're allowed to.  (Be sure to
ask exactly what is and isn't allowed on your flash drive when you see
the instructor.)

> Personally,I don't think the Final Exam (25%of the class
> grade) is fair,but the instructor is strict and I dare not question her
> judgement or teaching pedagogy.  Since I attend a Community College where
> there is little interaction from the students,I have to "go it alone" much
> of the time. There truly is little interaction between students,I couldn't
> get a Tutor,about 90% of the Community College Lab staff doesn't know
> Python,the list goes on. I think that I will consult with the instructor on
> Tuesday,May 6,2014 in her crowded office hour for suggestions on how to
> proceed.  I still don't understand how a "Dictionary" could be incorporated
> into an existing "hangman" program which doesn't apparently need it to
> operate.

One way would be to invent a new feature for the game that would
require it.  For example you could enhance the game to  a) support
multiple players and b) store some statistics (or maybe the game
outcomes themselves) by user.  One could use a dictionary to keep
track of each players data for example.  But as I requested before:
Can you please post the actual homework/assignment instructions
please?

> Again,thanks for your help,concern and programming experience and
> all the time you have volunteered to looking up the text on the Web. We
> Python people need to stick together and form a" community".   SWM

You're welcome.

Walter