Programming Forums > Script Programming > Python

Corvus · Dec 13th, 2004, 6:25 PM

G'day all

I am working my way through a book called "Python programming for absolute beginners" (I have very little programming experience) and at the end of one chapter you are asked to write a simple coin toss programme that tosses a coin 100 times and prints the result of each toss either as "heads" or "tails" using a while loop. I can get the random to work without the loop but I can't get it working properly using the loop, each toss is exactly the same (eg 100 instances of "heads"), though randomly it will change to the other and every time I run the programme for some time it will generate that.

Here is the code:

(Toggle Plain Text)

# Coin Toss programme
# Flips 100 coins and reports heads or tails

# Stuart Graham 10/12/04

import random
coin = random.randrange(2)

count = 0
toss = int(raw_input("enter number of tosses "))

while (count < toss): *
 *if (coin == 0):
 * *print "heads", coin
 *else: #(coin == 1)
 * *print "tails", coin

 *count += 1

While fiddling I have tried things like having the count += 1 directly after the while and I have added the toss to see if it makes any difference. It hasn't, beyond allowing me to change the number of coins tossed. I have tried coin = random.randrange(0.0, 1.0). Everything I have tried ends up with the same result.

Any hints would be appreciated as this is bugging the living daylights out of me.

Ooble · Dec 13th, 2004, 6:54 PM

Put the coin = random... statement in the while loop. In your code, it's only being called once. You want it to be called every time.

Corvus · Dec 13th, 2004, 7:27 PM

D'oh!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It works perfectly now, I wouldn't have thought of that at all. I will have to remember it for future programmes.

Thanks again :rock:

Dec 13th, 2004, 6:25 PM	#1
Corvus Newbie Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	G'day all I am working my way through a book called "Python programming for absolute beginners" (I have very little programming experience) and at the end of one chapter you are asked to write a simple coin toss programme that tosses a coin 100 times and prints the result of each toss either as "heads" or "tails" using a while loop. I can get the random to work without the loop but I can't get it working properly using the loop, each toss is exactly the same (eg 100 instances of "heads"), though randomly it will change to the other and every time I run the programme for some time it will generate that. Here is the code: (Toggle Plain Text) # Coin Toss programme # Flips 100 coins and reports heads or tails # Stuart Graham 10/12/04 import random coin = random.randrange(2) count = 0 toss = int(raw_input("enter number of tosses ")) while (count < toss): * if (coin == 0): print "heads", coin else: #(coin == 1) * print "tails", coin count += 1 # Coin Toss programme # Flips 100 coins and reports heads or tails # Stuart Graham 10/12/04 import random coin = random.randrange(2) count = 0 toss = int(raw_input("enter number of tosses ")) while (count < toss): * if (coin == 0): print "heads", coin else: #(coin == 1) * print "tails", coin count += 1 While fiddling I have tried things like having the count += 1 directly after the while and I have added the toss to see if it makes any difference. It hasn't, beyond allowing me to change the number of coins tossed. I have tried coin = random.randrange(0.0, 1.0). Everything I have tried ends up with the same result. Any hints would be appreciated as this is bugging the living daylights out of me.

Dec 13th, 2004, 6:54 PM	#2
Ooble I eat cake for breakfast. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In my box. Posts: 4,434 Rep Power: 9	Put the coin = random... statement in the while loop. In your code, it's only being called once. You want it to be called every time. __________________ Me :: You :: Them

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Dec 13th, 2004, 7:27 PM	#3
Corvus Newbie Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	D'oh! Thank you, thank you, thank you! It works perfectly now, I wouldn't have thought of that at all. I will have to remember it for future programmes. Thanks again :rock:

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Programming Forums > Script Programming > Python

While And Random Problem [solved]