User input and stuck in while loop

Question

I want my code to take a user input, then prompt the user to continue, if they answer 'y' then it asks for another input, if they answer 'n' the program stops and if they type any other characters it simply continues to prompt them until they enter a 'y' or 'n'.

As the code shows I'm trying to use a while loop to continuously prompt the user until they enter a 'y' or 'n'. However when I reach the while loop it does not stop when a 'y' or 'n' is entered.

def test():

    number = input('Input a number then press enter:')    
    print(number)
    prompt = input('Continue (y/n)? ')

    if prompt == 'y':
        number = input('Input a number then press enter:')
        print(number)
        prompt = input('Continue (y/n)? ')
    elif prompt == 'n':
        pass

    else:
        while prompt != 'y' or 'n':
        prompt = input('Continue (y/n)? ')

Please fix the indentation. It matters.

Reut Sharabani
– Reut Sharabani

2015-04-25 03:58:43 +00:00
Commented Apr 25, 2015 at 3:58 — Reut Sharabani
– Reut Sharabani, Commented Apr 25, 2015 at 3:58

Reut Sharabani · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-25 04:13:57Z

6

This is not how or works:

while prompt != 'y' or 'n':

You probably meant:

while prompt != 'y' or prompt != 'n':

Your version ors prompt != 'y' and 'n', which always yields at least the last truth-y value ('n').

The full code:

def test():

    number = input('Input a number then press enter:')    
    print(number)
    prompt = input('Continue (y/n)? ')

    if prompt == 'y':
        number = input('Input a number then press enter:')
        print(number)
        prompt = input('Continue (y/n)? ')
    elif prompt == 'n':
        pass

    else:
        while prompt != 'y' or prompt != 'n':
            prompt = input('Continue (y/n)? ')

To do these kind of input loops I normally use while True with break:

def test():

    prompt = 'y'
    while True:
        if prompt == 'y':
            number = input('Input a number then press enter:')
            print(number)
        elif prompt == 'n':
            break
        prompt = input('Continue (y/n)? ')

edited Apr 25, 2015 at 4:13

answered Apr 25, 2015 at 3:54

Reut Sharabani

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5 Comments

MrWallace Over a year ago

Okay thanks, I have changed so there is a second prompt != n, however when I run it is still stuck in the while loop?

Reut Sharabani Over a year ago

Can you use a debugger? Can you print prompts value to figure out what's going on?

MrWallace Over a year ago

Would I be able to solve my problem using exception handling?

MrWallace Over a year ago

When I reach else, it executes the while loop but I want it to go back and execute the if statement if 'y' is input and elif if 'n' is input. It just continues to run the while loop at the moment.

Reut Sharabani Over a year ago

@MrWallace see my edit of how I'd do it. The corrected code worked for me, but I'm too tired to follow different execution paths. Good luck.

caesar getit · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-25 03:55:27Z

-2

you have to use raw_input() in order to take non-numerical variables as input.

answered Apr 25, 2015 at 3:55

caesar getit

2256 silver badges16 bronze badges

1 Comment

MattDMo Over a year ago

No. This is Python 3. See the tag?

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