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 Challenge Solution

Constant looping - When I use this code a second time through it continuelly loops, regardless of input

Hey guys! One time through the code works great, but if I input 'no' a second time I am just given 'no' looped forever. Can anyone help me figure out why this is happening? Thank you in advance!

name = input("What's your name? ")

understanding = input("Welcome {}! Do you feel like you fully understand 'while' loops?\n(Enter yes/no)   ".format(name))

help = input("'while' loops repeat as long as certain Boolean, or True/False statment, is met.\nDo you feel like you understand 'while' loops now {}?\n(Enter yes/no)   ".format(name))

while understanding.lower() != 'no':
       print(help)


print("Great job {}! This stuff is hard isn't it?".format(name))

[MOD: added ```python formatting -cf]

3 Answers

Chris Freeman
MOD
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,454 Points

The variable help points at the results of the input statement. In the code:

while understanding.lower() != 'no':
       print(help)

nothing modifies the value of understanding. So if the condition is met, the code execution will enter the loop but have no way out.

One solution is adding a function inside the loop that returns a new value for understanding

Post back if you need more help. Good luck!!!

Hi Chris! Thank you so much for your response. I still don't seem to understand - I'm sorry! Can you define a funtion within a 'while' block? I went back and re watched the while video, but I'm struggling to figure out where certain things are used within it like I tried to use (code below) which also didn't work. I'm sorry to be a pain. I'll re watch videos, but am struggling to even figure out which ones to re watch at this point. Thank you again!

while True: 
    if understanding.lower == 'yes':
        break     
    elif understanding.lower == 'no':
        print(help)
        continue
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,454 Points

One rearrangement might be:

name = input("What's your name? ")

understanding = input("Welcome {}! Do you feel like you fully understand 'while' loops?\n(Enter yes/no)   ".format(name))

def get_help():
    return input("'while' loops repeat as long as certain Boolean, or True/False statment, is met.\nDo you feel like you understand 'while' loops now {}?\n(Enter yes/no)   ".format(name))

need_help = 'no'

while understanding.lower() != 'yes' and need_help.lower() != 'yes':
       need_help = get_help()

print("Great job {}! This stuff is hard isn't it?".format(name))

Results in

Whatโ€™s your name? B
Welcome B! Do you feel like you fully understand โ€˜whileโ€™ loops?
(Enter yes/no)   no
โ€˜whileโ€™ loops repeat as long as certain Boolean, or True/False statment, is met.
Do you feel like you understand โ€˜whileโ€™ loops now B?
(Enter yes/no)   no
โ€˜whileโ€™ loops repeat as long as certain Boolean, or True/False statment, is met.
Do you feel like you understand โ€˜whileโ€™ loops now B?
(Enter yes/no)   yes
Great job B! This stuff is hard isnโ€™t it?

Also, be careful of the context of asking yes/no questions to be sure you are getting the โ€œyesโ€ or โ€œnoโ€ you expect. In the original code, help was printed if the answer was not โ€œnoโ€. I understand but still get help?

Ok, thank you Chris! I think I understand the general gist, but I will go back and watch the videos again for another refresh. Thank again for your help!