I am currently working on a lab to create a countdown timer using a while loop and the subtract/assign operator. So far I have the loop counting 10 and breaking to 0 and printing my string "Happy New Year". I am not sure why it isn't iterating from 10 down to 0. Link to lab and code below https://learn.co/tracks/online-software-engineering-structured/procedural-ruby/looping/countdown-to-midnight-lab
number = 10
while number > 0
puts "#{number} SECOND(S)!"
number -= 1
break if n <= 0
puts "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
end
end
There is one end too much. Proper indentation could have told you that.
puts "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" should probably be the last line, out of the loop (and probably without the puts).
n should be number
The task is in the form of a method which returns a string . puts however returns nil.
Related
I have to write a program which asks the user to enter a number.
The program keeps on asking the user for a number until the user types 'Stop'
at which point the sum of the numbers that the user has entered should be printed.
I've tried many,many things and none of my ideas work.
This is what I have - but I can that it isn't correct. What am I doing wrong?
I've only used while loops and arrays
total_user_input = []
# As long as the user inputs a number, the program will keep putting Give me a number
# and then adding that number to the total_user_input array.
puts "Give me a number: "
while user_input = gets.chomp.to_i
#add the input to the array total_user_input
total_user_input.push(user_input.to_i)
puts "Give me a number: "
# If the user however types stop, then the loop is broken and we jump down to the
# sum bit - where all of the numbers in the total_user_input array are added together
# and printed. End of program!
if user_input == "stop"
break
end
sum = 0
total_user_input.each { |num|
sum += num
}
puts sum
end
The output isn't as it should be.
As others have identified the problems with your code let me suggest how you might reorganize it. Ruby provides many ways to execute loops but you many find it desirable to primarily relay on the method Kernel#loop and the keyword break. (As you will learn in time, loop is particularly convenient when used with enumerators.)
def sum_numbers
tot = 0
loop do
print 'Gimme a number: '
s = gets.chomp
break if s == 'Stop'
tot += s.to_i
end
tot
end
The keyword break can optionally take an argument (though why that is not mentioned in the doc I cannot say), in which case it (if a literal) or its value (if a variable or method) is returned by loop. Here one would generally see
break tot if s == 'Stop'
without the final line, tot. As the loop returns tot and that is the last calculation performed by the method, the method will return the final value of tot.
You could have instead written
return tot if user_input == 'Stop'
but I think most coders believe best practice dictates that one should not return from a method from within a loop (or from within nested loops) unless there is a good reason for doing so.
Some small points:
I used print rather than puts to that the user's entry will be shown on the same line as the prompt.
I used s (for "string") rather than user_input because it reduces the chance of spelling mistakes (e.g., user_imput), speeds reading, and (possibly a foible of mine), looks neater. True, s is not descriptive, but one only has to remember its meaning for three consecutive lines of code. Others may disagree.
You could write, break if s.downcase == 'stop' if you want, say, 'stop' or 'STOP' to have the same effect as 'Stop'.
'23O3'.to_i #=> 23 (that's an an oh, not a zero), so in real life you'd want to confirm that either 'Stop' or the string representation of a number had been typed.
This is how I would do this preferring to use loop do end syntax with a break when it should. Also added a bit more text so user knows what's happening.
total_user_input = []
puts 'Give me a number or "stop" to end: '
loop do
user_input = gets.chomp
total_user_input << user_input.to_i
puts "Give me a number: "
break if user_input.downcase == "stop"
end
puts "Total entered: #{total_user_input.inject(&:+)}" unless total_user_input.empty?
puts 'goodbye!'
Note these few things:
get.chomp.to_i will convert every input to integer. ("stop" or any non integer string will be 0)
Arrangement of the flow is quite messy.
total_user_input = []
puts "Give me a number: "
while user_input = gets.chomp.strip
total_user_input.push(user_input.to_i)
sum = 0
total_user_input.each { |num|
sum += num
}
puts sum
if user_input == "stop"
break
end
end
Hope you understand this.
I have the following:
text_counter = 0
MAXTEXT_COUNTER = 10
puts "hello, this will start"
loop do
puts "hello"
text_counter += 1
sleep(2)
if text_counter >= MAXTEXT_COUNTER
break
end
end
sleep(7200)
print "ended test"
Once the break has happened, how can I get it to start again from the top?
I'm now thinking I could nest this loop in an until loop with the condition of text_counter == 1000. This would break, then sleep for 2 hours, then start again until it hits 1000.
It looks like you need a loop within a loop where you repeat one N times, the other M times:
MAXTEXT_COUNTER = 10
puts "hello, this will start"
loop do
MAXTEXT_COUNTER.times do
puts "hello"
sleep(2)
end
print "ended test"
sleep(7200)
end
The outer loop is perpetual. The inner one runs a certain number of times and stops using the times method.
You're looking for next
It functions similarly to break, but returns control back to the top of the loop. It's great for creating flat control flow.
For example
0.upto(100) do |i|
if i % 7 == 0
puts "#{i} is a multiple of 7"
next
end
puts i
end
There is a retry keyword which repeats the loop from top, just what you've asked.
Or you can wrap your loop into a method and continuously call that method.
I created a guessing game through Ruby and I believe the structure of my code is off. When entering 'Cheat', you are given the random number then asked to type it in again. When typed in again, it says the random number is not correct and always defaults to my 'elseif' in line 45.
puts "Hey! I'm Sam. What's your name?"
name = gets
puts "Welcome #{name}. Thanks for playing the guessing game.
I've chosen a number between 1-100.
You'll have 10 tries to guess the correct number.
You'll also recieve a hint when you're guess is wrong.
If you feel like being a big ol cheater, type 'Cheat'.
Let's get started..."
random_number = rand(1...100)
Cheat = random_number
counter = 10
loop do
break if counter == 0
divisor = rand(2...10)
guess = gets.chomp
break if guess.to_i == random_number
counter -= 1
if
guess == random_number
puts 'You guessed the right number! You win!'
end
if counter < 4
puts "You can go ahead and cheat by typing 'Cheat'..."
end
if guess.to_s.downcase.eql? "cheat"
puts "The random number is #{random_number} you CHEATER!! Go ahead and type it in..."
guess = gets.chomp
puts = "You win cheater!"
end
if
guess.to_i < random_number
puts 'Ah shucks, guess again!'
guess = gets.chomp
elsif
guess.to_i > random_number
puts 'Too high, guess again!'
guess = gets.chomp
end
if random_number % divisor == 0
puts "Thats not it.\n #{guess} is #{guess.to_i > random_number ? 'less' : 'greater'} than the random number.
The random number is divisible by #{divisor}.\nTry again: "
elsif
puts "That's not the random number.\n #{guess} is #{guess.to_i > random_number ? 'less' : 'greater'} than the random number.
The random number is NOT divisible by #{divisor}.\nTry again: "
end
end
if counter > 0
puts "The number is #{random_number}! You win!"
else
puts "You lose! Better luck another time."
end
this is the response i get in the terminal
Let's get started...
Cheat
The random number is 96 you CHEATER!! Go ahead and type it in...
96
Thats not it.
96 is greater than the random number.
The random number is divisible by 8.
Try again:
The problem is here:
puts = "You win cheater!"
You're assigning the string "You win cheater!" to a local variable named puts. Changing it to this fixes the problem:
puts "You win cheater!"
You'll probably also want to put a break after that line.
As an aside, this pattern:
loop do
break if counter == 0
# ...
end
...would be better expressed as:
while counter > 0
# ...
end
...or:
until counter == 0
# ...
end
Also, you should always put the condition for an if/elsif/whathaveyou on the same line as if et al. Why? Because if you don't you get bugs like this:
if random_number % divisor == 0
# ...
elsif
puts "..."
end
Can you spot the bug? You forgot to put a condition after elsif, or used elsif when you meant to use else, which means that the return value of puts (which is always nil) is being used as the condition, just as if you had written elsif puts "...".
If you make a habit of always putting the condition on the same line as if/elsif, your eye will get used to it and errors like this will jump out at you.
I want to run some code after every iteration of each. Is there a way to do this without repeating the code? I tried this:
(1..10).each do |n|
continue = Proc.new {
puts "ended #{n}"
next
}
continue.call if n == 2
puts n
continue.call
end
but it didn't work.
In my actual code, I have lots of next calls. That's why it's unpractical to call a method every time I call next.
Approach 1
Define the contents of the loop in a method that you call from the loop. You can put an ensure block in the method. That way, your method can use return anywhere you want to move onto the next iteration, but you still guarantee you execute the ensure code:
def doit(x)
return if x == 2
puts "I like the number #{x}"
ensure
puts "LOOP"
end
[1,2,3,4].each{|x| doit(x)}
results in
I like the number 1
LOOP
LOOP
I like the number 3
LOOP
I like the number 4
LOOP
Approach 2
Similar to approach 1, but allows you reuse the "callback" code for different concerns. It also keeps you using next instead of return. This is to define a method that yields and then does other stuff:
def ensure_LOOP(x)
yield
puts "LOOP"
end
[1,2,3,4].each do |x|
ensure_LOOP(x) do
next if x == 2
puts "I really like the number #{x}"
end
end
Results in
I really like the number 1
LOOP
LOOP
I really like the number 3
LOOP
I really like the number 4
LOOP
And
[1,2,3,4].each do |x|
ensure_LOOP(x) do
next unless x == 2
puts "I don't like the number #{x}"
end
end
results in
LOOP
I don't like the number 2
LOOP
LOOP
LOOP
As I understand the question, you don't want anything executed after continue.call if n==2. If that's correct, you could use the control expression next with an argument.
def m(n)
puts "Only #{n} more days!"
end
(1..6).each do |n|
next m(n) if n==3
puts n
m(n)
end
1
Only 1 more days!
2
Only 2 more days!
Only 3 more days!
4
Only 4 more days!
5
Only 5 more days!
6
Only 6 more days!
Just call it within the each loop?
(1..10).each do |n|
puts n
puts "ended #{n}"
end
The code you provided actually does run, and outputs the following:
1
ended 1
ended 2
2
ended 2
3
ended 3
4
ended 4
5
ended 5
6
ended 6
7
ended 7
8
ended 8
9
ended 9
10
ended 10
As you can see, the Proc gets called twice for the number 2, as your if condition passes in that case and calls the Proc.
Stepping back, defining a method outside the context of the iteration is probably a better choice. It will make the code easier to read and avoid redefining the Proc each time the each block executes.
That said, technically what you have here seems to run okay.
I would like to make a program that checks to see if the number you enter is an even number. Sort of like making a leap year program but for any number divisible by 2.
Something along the lines of:
num = gets.chomp
while num != 0
if (num%2) == 0
puts 'yess'
else
puts 'nooo'
end
end
I knows there's something easy that I need to change for it to run.
(btw I just started learning Ruby yesterday!)
There are two problems here.
First being something that others have put, you need to make sure you turn the input into an integer using ".to_i" on your num variable.
Secondly, this code puts you into an infinite loop since you are using a "while" loop.
Since the number is only input once, you get stuck in the "while" loop forever no matter what the input is. Basically, "num" never stops being not 0.
You'd be better off using an if..else statement. Something like:
num = gets.chomp.to_i
if num != 0
if (num%2) == 0
puts 'yess'
else
puts 'nooo'
end
else
puts "that's 0, dude"
end
Integers have two methods for this. They are even? and odd?.
You can use this in your if statement as so:
if num.even?
puts 'yess'
else
puts 'nooo'
end
However, an easier way to write this is with ternary expressions:
puts num.even? ? "yes" : "no"
However, make sure num is an Integer. Anything coming from gets will be a String. So, you should be doing num = gets.chomp.to_i. Anything that is not a number, like "h", will return 0.
"5".to_i #=> 5
"h".to_i #=> 0