Python: rest of code not playing out when function returns True
Question:
I am coding a trivia game. When the player gets the question correct, the askQuestion function returns True, and the playGame function (which calls upon the askQuestion function) is supposed to add 1 point to the score. However, the score never increases.
I tried debugging the code, and saw that the program reaches the ‘if askQuestion == True’ line, but then does not continue on to increment the score.
# play game
def playGame(questions, startTime, score):
# initialize start time
startTime = time.time()
# set remaining time equal to 60 seconds
remainingTime = AVAILABLE_TIME
# initialize time remaining
timeLeft = 100
# initialize score to zero
score = 0
# initiazlize question number to zero
questionNumber = 0
# run loop while time left
while timeLeft > 0:
# go into spinner function
spinner(questions[questionNumber][0], score)
# go into askQuestion function
askQuestion(questions[questionNumber], timeLeft, score)
# update score:
# if got the correct answer:
if askQuestion == True:
# increment score
score += 1
# increment questionNumber
questionNumber += 1
# calculate remaining time
remainingTime -= time.time() - startTime + 14
# update time left
timeLeft = remainingTime - 50
def askQuestion(questions, timeLeft, score):
# initialize start time
start = time.time()
# correct answer number
ansNumber = questions[6]
# draw the question board:
# clear screen
Draw.clear()
# set font family
Draw.setFontFamily('Helvetica')
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(16)
# draw question box
Draw.setColor(Draw.BLACK)
Draw.rect(50, 50, 400, 100)
# draw the question
Draw.string(questions[1], 50, 60)
# set font size for answer
Draw.setFontSize(20)
# draw answerBox 0
answerBox0 = Draw.rect(50, 150, 400, 75)
# draw answer 0
Draw.string(questions[2], 50, 160)
# draw answerBox 1
answerBox1 = Draw.rect(50, 225, 400, 75)
# draw answer 1
Draw.string(questions[3], 50, 235)
# draw answerBox 2
answerBox2 = Draw.rect(50, 300, 400, 75)
# draw answer 2
Draw.string(questions[4], 50, 310)
# draw answerBox 3
answerBox3 = Draw.rect(50, 375, 400, 75)
# draw answer 3
Draw.string(questions[5], 50, 385)
# draw remainingTime
Draw.string('Remaining Time: ' + str(int(timeLeft)), 55, 465)
# while time is remaining:
while timeLeft > 0:
# if the user clicked
if Draw.mousePressed() == True:
Draw.clear()
# get x, y of the click
x = Draw.mouseX()
y = Draw.mouseY()
# if clicked in answerBox0:
if x > 50 and x < 50 + 400 and y > 150 and y < 150 + 75:
# if the correct answer number is 0:
if ansNumber == 0:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display good message
Draw.string('GOOD JOB!', 200, 200)
return True
else:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display negative message
Draw.string('Incorrect', 200, 200)
return False
# if clicked in answerBox1:
elif x > 50 and x < 50 + 400 and y > 225 and y < 225 + 75:
# if the correct answer number is 1:
if ansNumber == 1:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display good message
Draw.string('GOOD JOB!', 200, 200)
return True
else:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display negative message
Draw.string('Incorrect', 200, 200)
return False
# if clicked in answerBox2:
elif x > 50 and x < 50 + 400 and y > 300 and y < 300 + 75:
# if the correct answer number is 2:
if ansNumber == 2:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display good message
Draw.string('GOOD JOB!', 200, 200)
return True
else:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display negative message
Draw.string('Incorrect', 200, 200)
return False
# if clicked in answerBox3:
elif x > 50 and x < 50 + 400 and y > 375 and y < 375 + 75:
# if the correct answer number is 3:
if ansNumber == 3:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display good message
Draw.string('GOOD JOB!', 200, 200)
return True
else:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display negative message
Draw.string('Incorrect', 200, 200)
return False
# initialize end time
end = time.time()
# update remaining time
timeLapsed = end - start
timeLeft -= timeLapsed
Answers:
if askQuestion == True:
is not the way you test what the function returned. askQuestion is a reference to the function, not what it returned. You need to assign the result of the function to a variable:
correct = askQuestion(questions[questionNumber], timeLeft, score)
# update score:
# if got the correct answer:
if correct:
# increment score
score += 1
or just put the call directly in the if statement:
# update score:
# if got the correct answer:
if askQuestion(questions[questionNumber], timeLeft, score):
# increment score
score += 1
The problem you have is that you are comparing askQuestion to True. askQuestion has been defined as a function and a function object is not equal to True. You probably meant to compare against the return value of askQuestion which you can obtain by calling it askQuestion(...).
# This calls your code but you never store the result
askQuestion(questions[questionNumber], timeLeft, score)
# This compares a function object against a boolean value, this will never be true
if askQuestion == True:
You probably wanted to do this instead:
if askQuestion(questions[questionNumber], timeLeft, score):
Note that the comparison to True is implicit here. I will further note that not all execution paths in askQuestion return a value so you could have a case where your function executes and returns Null (default value).
I am coding a trivia game. When the player gets the question correct, the askQuestion function returns True, and the playGame function (which calls upon the askQuestion function) is supposed to add 1 point to the score. However, the score never increases.
I tried debugging the code, and saw that the program reaches the ‘if askQuestion == True’ line, but then does not continue on to increment the score.
# play game
def playGame(questions, startTime, score):
# initialize start time
startTime = time.time()
# set remaining time equal to 60 seconds
remainingTime = AVAILABLE_TIME
# initialize time remaining
timeLeft = 100
# initialize score to zero
score = 0
# initiazlize question number to zero
questionNumber = 0
# run loop while time left
while timeLeft > 0:
# go into spinner function
spinner(questions[questionNumber][0], score)
# go into askQuestion function
askQuestion(questions[questionNumber], timeLeft, score)
# update score:
# if got the correct answer:
if askQuestion == True:
# increment score
score += 1
# increment questionNumber
questionNumber += 1
# calculate remaining time
remainingTime -= time.time() - startTime + 14
# update time left
timeLeft = remainingTime - 50
def askQuestion(questions, timeLeft, score):
# initialize start time
start = time.time()
# correct answer number
ansNumber = questions[6]
# draw the question board:
# clear screen
Draw.clear()
# set font family
Draw.setFontFamily('Helvetica')
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(16)
# draw question box
Draw.setColor(Draw.BLACK)
Draw.rect(50, 50, 400, 100)
# draw the question
Draw.string(questions[1], 50, 60)
# set font size for answer
Draw.setFontSize(20)
# draw answerBox 0
answerBox0 = Draw.rect(50, 150, 400, 75)
# draw answer 0
Draw.string(questions[2], 50, 160)
# draw answerBox 1
answerBox1 = Draw.rect(50, 225, 400, 75)
# draw answer 1
Draw.string(questions[3], 50, 235)
# draw answerBox 2
answerBox2 = Draw.rect(50, 300, 400, 75)
# draw answer 2
Draw.string(questions[4], 50, 310)
# draw answerBox 3
answerBox3 = Draw.rect(50, 375, 400, 75)
# draw answer 3
Draw.string(questions[5], 50, 385)
# draw remainingTime
Draw.string('Remaining Time: ' + str(int(timeLeft)), 55, 465)
# while time is remaining:
while timeLeft > 0:
# if the user clicked
if Draw.mousePressed() == True:
Draw.clear()
# get x, y of the click
x = Draw.mouseX()
y = Draw.mouseY()
# if clicked in answerBox0:
if x > 50 and x < 50 + 400 and y > 150 and y < 150 + 75:
# if the correct answer number is 0:
if ansNumber == 0:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display good message
Draw.string('GOOD JOB!', 200, 200)
return True
else:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display negative message
Draw.string('Incorrect', 200, 200)
return False
# if clicked in answerBox1:
elif x > 50 and x < 50 + 400 and y > 225 and y < 225 + 75:
# if the correct answer number is 1:
if ansNumber == 1:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display good message
Draw.string('GOOD JOB!', 200, 200)
return True
else:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display negative message
Draw.string('Incorrect', 200, 200)
return False
# if clicked in answerBox2:
elif x > 50 and x < 50 + 400 and y > 300 and y < 300 + 75:
# if the correct answer number is 2:
if ansNumber == 2:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display good message
Draw.string('GOOD JOB!', 200, 200)
return True
else:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display negative message
Draw.string('Incorrect', 200, 200)
return False
# if clicked in answerBox3:
elif x > 50 and x < 50 + 400 and y > 375 and y < 375 + 75:
# if the correct answer number is 3:
if ansNumber == 3:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display good message
Draw.string('GOOD JOB!', 200, 200)
return True
else:
# set font size
Draw.setFontSize(32)
# display negative message
Draw.string('Incorrect', 200, 200)
return False
# initialize end time
end = time.time()
# update remaining time
timeLapsed = end - start
timeLeft -= timeLapsed
if askQuestion == True:
is not the way you test what the function returned. askQuestion is a reference to the function, not what it returned. You need to assign the result of the function to a variable:
correct = askQuestion(questions[questionNumber], timeLeft, score)
# update score:
# if got the correct answer:
if correct:
# increment score
score += 1
or just put the call directly in the if statement:
# update score:
# if got the correct answer:
if askQuestion(questions[questionNumber], timeLeft, score):
# increment score
score += 1
The problem you have is that you are comparing askQuestion to True. askQuestion has been defined as a function and a function object is not equal to True. You probably meant to compare against the return value of askQuestion which you can obtain by calling it askQuestion(...).
# This calls your code but you never store the result
askQuestion(questions[questionNumber], timeLeft, score)
# This compares a function object against a boolean value, this will never be true
if askQuestion == True:
You probably wanted to do this instead:
if askQuestion(questions[questionNumber], timeLeft, score):
Note that the comparison to True is implicit here. I will further note that not all execution paths in askQuestion return a value so you could have a case where your function executes and returns Null (default value).