Why is my if statement running incorrectly?

Question

My if statement here in line 4 and 6 keep running even if the user inputs the correct word. I'm confused. Any suggestions? Have been trying to get this to work for a day now.

boi = input("Do you want to enter a part of a house or a word, (\"house part\" or \"word\")? ")
print(boi)
if boi != "house part":
    print("I do not understand", boi +".")
elif boi != "word":
    print("I do not understand", boi + ".")
if boi == "house part":
    hp = input("Please enter a part of a house: ")
    print(hp)
    if hp == "basement":
        print("calf")
    elif hp == "wall":
        print("skin")
    elif hp == "attic":
        print ("hip")
    elif hp == "kitchen":
        print("abdomen")
    elif hp == "study":
        print("wrist")
    else:
        print("I do not know anything about a(n)", hp + ".")
elif boi == "word":
    w = input("Please enter a word: ")
    print(w)
    if w == "attorney":
        print("macilmud")
    elif w == "chicken":
        print("sleent")
    elif w == "consider":
        print("floria")
    elif w == "application":
        print("sailinexemy")
    elif w == "prepare":
        print("capied")
    else:
        print("I do not know anything about a(n)", w + ".")

print("I do not understand", boi +".") is guaranteed to print based on the logic you've given. You probably mean if boi != "house part" and boi != "word": instead of two separate branches. Welcome to SO, BTW. — ggorlen
– ggorlen, Commented Feb 25, 2021 at 19:12
Thank you for the suggestion!! Unfortunately, it didn't work, but I'll keep looking. Thank you! ^^ — Hannah
– Hannah, Commented Feb 25, 2021 at 19:13
@ggorlen, your suggestion worked! Thank you so much! :DD Thanks for the welcome, too! — Hannah
– Hannah, Commented Feb 25, 2021 at 19:15
@harith If it's logically the same, the code will run the same. — Bram Vanroy
– Bram Vanroy, Commented Feb 25, 2021 at 19:15

Alain T. · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-25 19:23:21Z

2

All inputs will either be not one or not the other. you need to combine these two into a single condition such as:

if boi not in ("house part","word"):
    print("I do not understand", boi + ".")

or, more simply, add a final else: to the next condition (and remove the first one).

if boi == "house part":
    ...
elif boi == "word":
    ...
else:
    print("I do not understand", boi + ".")

edited Feb 25, 2021 at 19:23

answered Feb 25, 2021 at 19:12

Alain T.

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Comments

Josiah Whitlock · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-25 19:21:28Z

Your code:

if boi != "house part":
    print("I do not understand", boi +".")
elif boi != "word":
    print("I do not understand", boi + ".")

Entering house part will result in I do not understand house part. as house part is not equal to word which satisfies the elif boi != "word":. It looks like you'd want to combine the two statements into one:

if boi not in ("house part", "word"):

This is because your current code runs like this:

#user enters "house part"
if boi != "house part": 
#boi is equal to "house part" so the if returns 
#false and continues to the elif
    print("I do not understand", boi +".")
elif boi != "word":
#boi is not equal to "word" so the elif is satisfied and 
#the below statements are run.
    print("I do not understand", boi + ".")

Mervan Yalçındağ · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-25 19:55:17Z

0

when you want validating input, you can use instead of this part in below:

if boi != "house part":
    print("I do not understand", boi +".")
elif boi != "word":
    print("I do not understand", boi + ".")

use this:

if boi != "house part" and boi != "word":
    print("I do not understand", boi +".")

edited Feb 25, 2021 at 19:55

answered Feb 25, 2021 at 19:26

Mervan Yalçındağ

625 bronze badges

1 Comment

Alain T. Over a year ago

This should be and not or otherwise the issue will remain

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