Python 2.7 While Loop Issue

Question

I am trying to write a code for a text based chat-bot as my first full scale project and I am having a weird problem with while loops that I can't figure out. My primary loop is dependent on text input, what is supposed to happen is when the user types "bye" the program ends. The only problem is when I run it, no matter what I say to it, it just prints out the same response over and over until I hit cntrl.+c or close the window. Here is the code: import datetime

print("Hi I am ChatBot V 0.0.1. I am here to converse. ")

user_name=raw_input("What is your name?")

print("Hello " + user_name + "!")

user_input=raw_input().lower().replace(" ","").replace("?","")

is_user_finished=0

while (is_user_finished == 0):

if user_input == "hi" or "hello":
    print("Hello. How are you?")

elif user_input == "whatisyourname":
    print("I do not have a name at the moment. What do you think I should be named?")
    user_input=raw_input().lower().replace(" ","").replace("?","")
    print("Good choice! I like that name!")

elif "where" and "you" in user_input:
    print("I was typed up by some kid in California")



else:
    print("I do not currently understand what you said. Sorry.")

if user_input == "bye":
    print("Good bye. It was nice talking to you!")
    is_user_finished = 1

Please indent the code correctly. Remember it's very important in Python. — Christian Tapia
– Christian Tapia, Commented Sep 1, 2014 at 3:58
Your code is not properly indented, and cannot run as such. Whitespace is significant in Python code. As such we can not verify your bug from this code. — Antti Haapala
– Antti Haapala, Commented Sep 1, 2014 at 3:58
As you are writing this for a learning purpose better start using Python3.x. There are lot of changes/improvements that have been done that will help you in future development. — Kannan Mohan
– Kannan Mohan, Commented Sep 1, 2014 at 4:34
Do not edit indentation here. Wrong indentation could be the actual cause of the problem. I rollbacked to original version. — taskinoor
– taskinoor, Commented Sep 1, 2014 at 5:48
Please double check your indentation! If it is how we see it now, you should be getting a "Expected indented block error" at your first if statement. — whitebeard
– whitebeard, Commented Sep 1, 2014 at 6:08

Christian Tapia · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-01 04:00:04Z

3

What happens is that the line

if user_input == "hi" or "hello":

don't do what you think. Instead, you should do

if user_input == "hi" or user_input == "hello":

or even, in a more compact way:

if user_input in ["hi","hello"]:

Something similar happens with the line

elif "where" and "you" in user_input:

which should be

elif "where" in user_input and "you" in user_input:

answered Sep 1, 2014 at 4:00

Christian Tapia

34.2k7 gold badges58 silver badges73 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

Yiping Wang · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-01 04:04:46Z

0

syntax issue.

the correct form should be : if A == B or A == C, instead of A == B or C, which is incorrect.

answered Sep 1, 2014 at 4:04

Yiping Wang

111 bronze badge

Comments

Jinghui.You · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-01 04:18:20Z

0

You should change the line

if user_input == "hi" or "hello": to if user_input == "hi" or user_input == "hello":

and

"where" and "you" in user_input: to "where" in user_input and "you" in user_input:,
because "hello" and "where" is always True .

Besides you should put user_input=raw_input().lower().replace(" ","").replace("?","") into the while loop.

answered Sep 1, 2014 at 4:18

Jinghui.You

414 bronze badges

Comments

whitebeard · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-01 06:12:36Z

0

Provided you have proper indentation, which if the loop keeps running I assume you do, the problem, besides the things pointed out above about proper use of compound if statements is you need to add a "break" to the "bye" case.

if user_input == "bye":
    print("Good bye. It was nice talking to you!")
    is_user_finished = 1
    break

answered Sep 1, 2014 at 6:12

whitebeard

1,15115 silver badges19 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Python 2.7 While Loop Issue

4 Answers 4

Comments

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

4 Answers 4

Comments

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related