[Tutor] Not to bad,not to good!how to tell apart!!

[Gregor Lingl]

Paul Hickey schrieb:

> newbie help needed!!
>  
> This is what i've got i could do with some help, thanks!
>  
> s = raw_input ("How are you?")
> if s.find('fine')>=0:
>     print "Im glad that your good!'
> elif s.find('OK')>=0:
>     print "Happy to hear your OK!"
> elif s.find('bad')>=0:
>     print "Hey look on the bright side, coud be worse!'
> elif s.find('not too bad')>=0:
>     print " im glad to hear your good!"
>  
> The last line don't work!!! Help.
>  

Hi, Paul,

in any if-elif-elif-... statement  exactly one branch will be
executed. In your case if s.find('not too bad')>=0 is True, then also
s.find('bad')>=0 is true, so the corresponding branch will be
executed and "Hey, look at ..." will be printed.

If you exchanged this last two branches, the statement will
work as desired.

> Also can i 'bunch' several words  together like, 
> elif s.find('fine' or 'good' or 'OK' )>=0:
>     print "Glad that thinigs are going well!"
>  

This is possible, but for the Python  interpreter:

 >>> 'fine' or 'good' or 'OK'
'fine'

The reason for this is a bit sophisticated, but for now you should
keep in mind that or-ing (and  and-ing) expressions may have surprising 
results
for you. (If you like to read about this, look at
http://www.python.org/doc/current/lib/truth.html    and
http://www.python.org/doc/current/lib/boolean.html   )

However this is not the case if the expressions are themselves boolen ones.
So the following will work:

elif s.find('fine'')>=0 or s.find('good')>=0 or s.find('OK')>=0:
    print "etc ...."

> This line dont work either!!!
> I've tried to play with this but ot no avail
>  
> There's also the thing about upper and lower case is that a major 
> thing or will i forget about that for the time being.
>  

To manage this you have to use the string-methods lower() and
upper():

 >>> s = "I'm ok"
 >>> s.find('OK')
-1
 >>> s.upper().find('OK')
4
 >>> s.find('ok')
4
 >>> t = "I'm OK"
 >>> t.find("ok")
-1
 >>> t.lower().find("ok")
4
 >>>

> Or ?? Am i going about this the right way, if i can 'bunch' several 
> key words in the same statement the i could save a lot of typing, 
> however is there a better method that a newbie might have a hope of 
> understanding.
> Help with ANY part of this would be great.
> Thanks for your time, hope im not asking for too much!

Certainly not. Look on the bright side and feel free to ask more ...

Gregor

> Paul