Chad Everett wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I am new to Python and programming in general. I bought the book
"Python
> Programming for the Absolute Beginner" by michael Dawson.
>
> I have been working through it but am having trouble.
> I am trying to make a coin flip program and keep geting a Synax Error
> "invalid syntax".
>
> If anyone has a moment could you please look at it and tell me what I
am
> doing wrong.
>
> thanks for your time and patience.
>
> Chad
>
> # Coin Flip Program
> # This program flips a coin 100 times and tells the number of heads
and
> tails.
Oh, no, it doesn't! Once you fix the few things that stop it from
running at all, it will flip the coin ONCE and tell you the one
then-fixed answer *99* times.
> # Chad Everett 2/3/2005
>
>
> print "\t\t********Coin Flip Game*********\n"
> import random
>
> # heads = 1
> # tails = 2
>
> tries = random.randrange(2) + 1
Better move the above line _after_ the "while" statement.
> count = 1
Try 0; think about it this way: you are counting the number of times
something has happened, and you want to stop after 100 somethings have
happened. At this stage you ain't hatched no chickens :)
>
You also need to initialise the 'heads' and 'tails' counters.
> while count != 100:
Defensive programming hint #1: while count <= 100, if starting at 1; <
100 if starting from 0
Tip: Python takes the drudgery out of programming. Less typing, less
scope for error. To do something 100 times:
!for count in range(100):
! do_something()
> if tries == 1:
> heads = 1
I think you meant:
!heads += 1
> count += 1
Do this in only one place; it doesn't/shouldn't depend on the coin toss
result.
>
> else tries == 2: # I AM GETTING THE SYNTAX ERROR HERE
> tails = 1
and
!tails += 1
> count += 1
>
Others have answered your syntax error question; I'll just round off
with Defensive Programming hint #2:
Get into this habit early:
!if tries == 1:
! blah_blah()
!elif tries == 2:
! yadda_yadda()
!else:
! raise Exception, "Can't happen :-) tries has unexpected value
(%r)" % tries
> print "heads: " + heads
Ugh; did you get that out of the book?
Try:
!print "heads:", heads
> print "tails: " + tails
>
> raw_input("Press enter to quit")
HTH,
John
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