Flying Through Python Level 4 Challenge 7

[briancroxall]

moderator: don't use update to add a new entry. Instead use = as per the slides. See post on update vs = below for more details.

---

I got stuck on this challenge.

The solution is:

performances = {}

schedule_file = open('schedule.txt', 'r')

for line in schedule_file:
    (show, time) = line.split(' - ')
    performances[show] = time.strip()
    print(show, time)
schedule_file.close() 
print(performances)

The line that is confusing me is performances[show] = time.strip(). That's the first that we've seen that syntax, I believe.

Here is what I tried, following along with the video and slides:

performances = {}

schedule_file = open('schedule.txt', 'r')

for line in schedule_file:
    (show, time) = line.split(' - ')
    performances.append(show, time)
    print(show, time)
schedule_file.close() 
print(performances)

This seemed to accord with the slides and uses the append method. Perhaps it doesn't work because I'm adding to a dictionary rather than a list, as the example does?

[snychka]

Hello Brian!

append is for a list, plus only takes 1 argument. performances is a dictionary, and has no append method.

The some_dictionary[some_key] syntax is from level 1 and you can check that out for a refresher.

Let us know if you have any other questions!

[Chi_Rubyist]

I reviewed the slides from section one of the Flying through Python course, and the syntax is not there, so I'm not sure what you're referring to. For those who are struggling with this exercise, I found this site helpful:

http://www.pythonforbeginners.com/dictionary/dictionary-manipulation-in-python

[hakura88]

Just add inside the loop:
time.strip()

[GrayJ]

performances = {}

schedule_file = open('schedule.txt', 'r')

for line in schedule_file:
    (show, time) = line.split(' - ')
    performances[show]=time.strip()
    performances[show]=(time)
    print(line)
print(performances)
schedule_file.close()

Keep getting this error when run on my terminal

Why is this code not working? and what is the error I am getting?

[snychka]

Hey! I'm guessing it's because the line at that point, when split, doesn't return 2 values, so can't be assigned to the tuple on the left (show, time)

What does the contents of your schedule.txt look like? You can also print out the line beforehand to see what the issue is.

[GrayJ]

So above the first line printed out on the terminal is exactly that suggestion.
If I # out any of the reading into a dictionary code it loops through the txt file and prints each line perfectly.
I have tried changing the contents format too.
I did put the print line in to see how each line was being read.

here is my code on Atom.

This is the same code taken from the code school challenge.
could it be because it is Python 2 vs Python 3?

[Momtchil]

I had the same problem. It appears that the line # in which the answer is placed makes the difference. In this case, it was line # 7. I.e.:

for line in schedule_file:
(show, time) = line.split(' - ')
performances[show] = time.strip()
performances[show] = time
schedule_file.close()
print(performances)

This order solved my problem.

[snychka]

Hi!

Note @Momtchil, @GrayJ's use of # is referring to comments, not line numbers. Line numbers in the answer shouldn't matter.

@GrayJ here's why you were likely getting an error. Probably not a python2 or 3 thing:

user ~/tmp
> cat travel_log.py 
performances = {}

schedule_file = open('schedule.txt', 'r')

for line in schedule_file:
    (show, time) = line.split(' - ')
    performances[show]=time.strip()
    performances[show]=(time)
    print(line)
print(performances)
schedule_file.close()


user ~/tmp
> echo "one two" >| schedule.txt && cat schedule.txt
one two

user ~/tmp
> python3 ./travel_log.py                           
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "./travel_log.py", line 6, in <module>
    (show, time) = line.split(' - ')
ValueError: need more than 1 value to unpack

user ~/tmp
> echo "one - two" >| schedule.txt && cat schedule.txt
one - two

user ~/tmp
> python3 ./travel_log.py                             
one - two

{'one': 'two\n'}

user ~/tmp
>

So, likely the contents of your .txt file.

[Ananthakrishnan_Jaya]

I think the issue is that the topic of split is not addressed in the video. I did not know how you got the syntax of (show, time) = line.split(' - '). Unless I am missing something request you to update the video and slides.

[btdroyale246]

Hi there,

I was fine. Is it just a bug, or something?

performances = {}

schedule_file = open('schedule.txt', 'r')

for line in schedule_file:
    (show, time) = line.split(' - ')
    print(show, time)
    performances[show] = (time)
    performances[show] = time.strip()

print(performances)
schedule_file.close()

[stachubrachu]

works for me

performances = {}

schedule_file = open('schedule.txt', 'r')

for line in schedule_file:
(show, time) = line.split(' - ')
performances[show]=time.strip()
print(show, time)
print(performances)
schedule_file.close()

[Zampackt]

Hello everyone,

Could someone help me to understood out what is wrong with my code.

performances = {}

schedule_file = open('schedule.txt', 'r')

for line in schedule_file:
    (show, time) = line.split(' - ')
    print(show, time.strip())
    performances.update({show: time.strip()})
schedule_file.close()
print(performances)

The outputs are:

Ventriloquism 9:00am
Snake Charmer 12:00pm
Amazing Acrobatics 2:00pm
Enchanted Elephants 5:00pm
{'Ventriloquism': '9:00am', 'Snake Charmer': '12:00pm', 'Enchanted Elephants': '5:00pm', 'Amazing Acrobatics': '2:00pm'}

And I still receive the following message that does not allows me to move to next challange:

Incorrect Submission
We didn't strip the newlines from performances

[snychka]

Hello! It doesn't produce the same order, I think due to some internal implementations of update vs using =.

Best to instead stick with =, as it's within the scope of the course, and update is more for merging two dictionaries, and is a more complex method:

performances = {}

schedule_file = open('schedule.txt', 'r')

for line in schedule_file:
    (show, time) = line.split(' - ')
    print(show, time.strip())
    #performances.update({show: time.strip()})
    performances[show] = time.strip()
schedule_file.close()
print(performances)

Nicely done though figuring out how to produce a very similar result!

I am going to put in a note at the top of this topic to avoid using update. If anyone else is similarly confused, please like this post, and if there are a few likes in the next little bit I'll see if I can fix up the challenge; it ideally, regardless of whether update is used or not, shouldn't fail based on the results ordering, and the current error is misleading too.