My First Program!

[Sniper4Life]

This is my first Python script. I started Python yesterday and I just wanted the CompSci community to see it and evaluate it. The general idea of the calculator is thought of from another script written by someone else NOT me. I just added in a couple of more functions to the script, and it was originally started from scratch. Its not long or anything but I'm still somewhat proud of it . Please do tell me better ways I could have made this script(shorter...more efficient), and remember, criticism is encouraged!

[Sniper4Life]

No need to download...here is the code!

Python:

def options():     print "Welcome to Abrar's Program!"     print " "     print "1) Add numbers"     print "2) Subtract numbers"     print "3) Multiply a number"     print "4) Divide a number"     print "5) Use Exponents"     print "6) Quit Program"     print " "     return input ("What would you like to do?") def add (a,b):     print a,"+",b,"=", a+b def sub (a,b):     print b,"-",a,"=",b-a def mult (a,b):     print a, "*" , b , "=", a*b def div (a,b):     print a,"/",b,"=", a/b     def sqaure (a,b):     print a," ", "powered by", " ", b,"=", a**b loop=1 function=0 while loop==1:     function=options()     if function==1:         add(input("The number: "), input("plus: "))     elif function==2:         sub(input("This number: "), input("subtracted from this number: "))     elif function==3:         mult (input("First number: "), input("second number: "))     elif function==4:         div  (input("This number: "), input ("divided by this number: "))             elif function==5:         sqaure(input("The base: "), input("the exponent: "))     elif function==6:         loop = 0         print "See you next time on Abrar's Calculator!"

Mod Edit: Remember to use syntax tags! Thanks

code:

[syntax="python"]Code Here[/syntax]

[saltpro15]

nice, looks familiar though
I'm thinking of writing a new game with pygame, maybe if it's any good i'll post it

[Sniper4Life]

lol yes very familiar
i didnt copy and paste atleast
i remembered what i read
then learned to do it on my own
im gonna add more stuff to it later on?
like getting the square root...finding the circumference of a cirlce...radius of a circle...stuff like that
basic...easy...
anyways i could improve on it?

[saltpro15]

well, the suggestions you made would be excellent, I would also recommend taking advantages of python's classes, which are very handy

[Sniper4Life]

u mean actually taking python classes?
or the online resources available...???

and python is SOOO much easier than c++

man i was kind dumb to start with c++

btw salt...what age did you start coding?
and having an interest in computers
i asked wtd before but he nvr answered me

[saltpro15]

no, I meant the class function in python, maybe wait a bit to get into that, it's sort of advanced. I started coding in October, I am currently programming in Turing,C++ and Python, I've always been interested in comp's though

EDIT
I'm 15, in Grade 10

[Sniper4Life]

ok good to see you started at age 15
im 13 and i started in january

i thought i was sort of "late" to all possible good programmers because i have this one friend and he is PRO with programming
he's been writing scripts since he was 7 or 8 i think?
so ya....i thought i was like a complete noob
good to see i didnt start that late

[Analysis Mode]

Not bad. Python's a pretty good language.

You shold also try Pascal, always a good language to start with, easy to read, etc.

C++ should be your second or third language (it's my second), much more powerful, STL's, etc. you should know the basics of programming (variables, procedures/functions, loops, etc.) before moving onto C++. Knowing PAscal made it much easier to learn c++ in my case.

[wtd]

Replace the test in the loop. You can more directly express this in the following form.

code:

while True:     if blah:         ...         break

Also, your conditional has some other issues.

A) The input function returns a string. You check for equality against integers. What do you expect if I input 4 as my choice of options? Now, what actually happens?

B) Your conditional is not robust. What happens if I choose option 13? What should happen?

[Sniper4Life]

hehe wtd i noticed the thing you said too
the option 13 thing
see...problem is...i DONT KNOW how to do that efficiently...so THERES my problem...so could you tell me how i could do that?

and the

code:

while True:  if blah      ***      break

what do you mean with it?

[DemonWasp]

I'll explain:

code:

while true  // this means "loop forever, until I say break"     if blah  // test for some condition. You have lots of these above; in particular, when it says function==6, you're setting "loop" to zero, meaning "stop looping"         break;  // this means "stop looping right now"

Side note: How long before someone finally stamps a "Not for first-time coders" label on C++? That language is probably just about the worst thing for a new programmer - worse than Windows, worse than a bad teacher. It is the graveyard of new programmers.

[Sniper4Life]

wtd @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:54 pm wrote:

Replace the test in the loop. You can more directly express this in the following form.



B) Your conditional is not robust. What happens if I choose option 13? What should happen?

k first...could anyone explain to me an EFFICIENT way of making any number over 6 do something specific?
using a loop or sumthing?

and btw demonwasp it doesnt really help improve the performance of the program...just the code itself?

[[Gandalf]]

code:

elif function > 6:

[saltpro15]

Sniper4Life @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 wrote:

ok good to see you started at age 15
im 13 and i started in january

i thought i was sort of "late" to all possible good programmers because i have this one friend and he is PRO with programming
he's been writing scripts since he was 7 or 8 i think?
so ya....i thought i was like a complete noob
good to see i didnt start that late

you can really start whenever. It all depends on how well you take to programming. will you be in high school next year? if so, I recommend signing up for DWITE it's an excellent way to get experience in programming contests, Dan and Tony host it monthly October-February.