Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

Python Python Basics (2015) Letter Game App Letter Game Introduction

Sean Flanagan
Sean Flanagan
33,235 Points
Posted by Sean Flanagan
Sean Flanagan
33,235 Points

Why does my program generate an infinite loop?

Hi.

Every time I run my program, for some reason it keeps running and the only way to terminate it is to close Workspaces.

import random

# make a word list
words = [
    'apple', 
    'banana',
    'orange',
    'coconut',
    'strawberry',
    'lime',
    'grapefruit',
    'lemon',
    'kumquat',
    'blueberry',
    'tangarine',
    'peach',
    'pear',
    'blackberry',
    'raspberry',
    'cranberry',
    'melon',
    'satsuma',
    'raisin',
    'hazelnut',
    'sultana',
    'pineapple'
]

while True:
    start = input("Press Enter/Return to start or enter Q to quit")
    if start.lower() == 'q':
        break

    # pick a random word
    secret_word = random.choice(words)
    bad_guesses = []
    good_guesses = []
    while len(bad_guesses) < 7 and len(good_guesses) != len(list(secret_word)):
        # draw guessed letters, spaces and strikes
        for letter in secret_word:
            if letter in good_guesses:
                print(letter, end='')
            else:
                print('_', end='')

        print('')
        print('Strikes: {}/7'.format(len(bad_guesses)))
        print('')


    # hazard a guess
    guess = input("Guess a letter: ").lower()

    if len(guess) != 1:
        print("You can only guess a single letter!")
        continue
    elif guess in bad_guesses or guess in good_guesses:
        print("You've already guessed that letter!")
        continue
    elif not guess.isalpha():
        print("You can only guess letters!")
        continue

    if guess in secret_word:
        good.guesses.append(guess)
        if len(good_guesses) == len(list(secret_word)):
            print("You win! The word was {}".format(secret_word))
            break
    else:
        bad_guesses.append(guess)
else:
    print("You didn't guess it! My secret word was {}".format(secret_word))
    # print out win/lose

Does anyone know why this happens please?

Thanks

Sean

2 Answers

Kenneth Love
STAFF
Kenneth Love
Treehouse Guest Teacher
Kenneth Love
Kenneth Love
Treehouse Guest Teacher

So, first thing, near the bottom you have good.guesses.append. That should be good_guesses.append.

Oops, hit enter too soon. I'll update this comment when I find what's causing the loop.

The reason for the infinite loop is that you need to indent everything from #hazard a guess on down by one. That should all be inside of the while loop.

Also, just so you aren't surprised by it, there's a bug in this code in the course. It gets addressed later on in the course, just don't want you to get hung up on it.

Sean Flanagan
Sean Flanagan
33,235 Points
Sean Flanagan
Sean Flanagan
33,235 Points

Hi Kenneth. Thanks for getting back to me.

This is my code now:

import random

# make a word list
words = [
    'apple', 
    'banana',
    'orange',
    'coconut',
    'strawberry',
    'lime',
    'grapefruit',
    'lemon',
    'kumquat',
    'blueberry',
    'tangarine',
    'peach',
    'pear',
    'blackberry',
    'raspberry',
    'cranberry',
    'melon',
    'satsuma',
    'raisin',
    'hazelnut',
    'sultana',
    'pineapple'
]

while True:
    start = input("Press Enter/Return to start or enter Q to quit")
    if start.lower() == 'q':
        break

    # pick a random word
    secret_word = random.choice(words)
    bad_guesses = []
    good_guesses = []
    while len(bad_guesses) < 7 and len(good_guesses) != len(list(secret_word)):
        # draw guessed letters, spaces and strikes
        for letter in secret_word:
            if letter in good_guesses:
                print(letter, end='')
            else:
                print('_', end='')

        print('')
        print('Strikes: {}/7'.format(len(bad_guesses)))
        print('')


        # hazard a guess
        guess = input("Guess a letter: ").lower()

        if len(guess) != 1:
            print("You can only guess a single letter!")
            continue
        elif guess in bad_guesses or guess in good_guesses:
            print("You've already guessed that letter!")
            continue
        elif not guess.isalpha():
            print("You can only guess letters!")
            continue

        if guess in secret_word:
            good_guesses.append(guess)
            if len(good_guesses) == len(list(secret_word)):
                print("You win! The word was {}".format(secret_word))
                break
        else:
            bad_guesses.append(guess)
    else:
        print("You didn't guess it! My secret word was {}".format(secret_word))
        # print out win/lose

Is that right so far?

Cheers

Sean

Sean Flanagan
Sean Flanagan
33,235 Points
Sean Flanagan
Sean Flanagan
33,235 Points

Ok. Thanks Kenneth.

Sean :-)