Python : Is it possible to combine these two functions into one?

Question

I have been creating a scoring program for a game of hearts. If there is a an even number of players then players will pass across. And an odd number there is no pass across. I created these 2 functions that work fine. But I keep scratching my head trying to simplify them into only 1 function. I know its possible but I just can't get it right. This is the block of code I'm working with:

#this function is for an odd number of players
def no_across():
    global pass_counter
    if pass_counter == 1:
        print("WE ARE PASSING LEFT")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 2:
        print("WE ARE PASSING RIGHT")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 3:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        pass_counter = pass_counter - 2

#this function is for an even number of players
def yes_across():
    global pass_counter
    if pass_counter == 1:
        print("WE ARE PASSING LEFT")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 2:
        print("WE ARE PASSING RIGHT")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 3:
        print("WE ARE PASSING ACROSS")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 4:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        pass_counter = pass_counter - 3

#determines which of the 2 previous functions to call
    if player_count % 2 == 0:
        yes_across()
    else:
        no_across()

As you can see in the first block and second block I have repeated code but I know it can be simplified. All help is appreciated.

---

EDIT: Below is the complete code. Don't judge me because I just whipped it together last night as a test to see if it would work. Also I am integrating this into a different project I have that will use a GUI. I just needed a rough copy of the program to work.

#this program is meant to keep track of score during a game of hearts

#displays a greeting
print("Welcome to the player score keeper!")

#score limit reached allows game to continue until changed
score_limit_reached = False

#these are the players names
John = 0
Elaine = 0
Austin = 0
Bridgette = 0
Rocky = 0

#these following variables help determine if the program should have certain
#passing in game. also keeps track of score limit.
player_count = 0
player_count = int(input("How many players are going to play? "))
score_limit = 0
pass_counter = 1
score_limit = int(input("What is the score limit? "))

#this function is for an odd number of players
def no_across():
    global pass_counter
    if pass_counter == 1:
        print("WE ARE PASSING LEFT")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 2:
        print("WE ARE PASSING RIGHT")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 3:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        pass_counter = pass_counter - 2

#this function is for an even number of players
def yes_across():
    global pass_counter
    if pass_counter == 1:
        print("WE ARE PASSING LEFT")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 2:
        print("WE ARE PASSING RIGHT")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 3:
        print("WE ARE PASSING ACROSS")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 4:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        pass_counter = pass_counter - 3

#here begins the actual scoring section of the game
while score_limit_reached == False:
#determines which of the 2 previous functions to call
    if player_count % 2 == 0:
        yes_across()
    else:
        no_across()
#user input keeps track of score
    John = John + int(input("john: "))
    Elaine = Elaine + int(input("elaine: "))
    Austin = Austin + int(input("austin: "))
    Bridgette = Bridgette + int(input("bridgette: "))
    Rocky = Rocky + int(input("rocky: "))
#prints current score of each player
    print("\n\nJohn's score - " + str(John))
    print("Elaine's score - " + str(Elaine))
    print("Austin's score - " + str(Austin))
    print("Bridgette's score - " + str(Bridgette))
    print("Rocky's score - " + str(Rocky) + "\n\n")
#if the score limit has been reached it will end the while loop
    if John >= score_limit:
        score_limit_reached = True
    if Elaine >= score_limit:
        score_limit_reached = True
    if Austin >= score_limit:
        score_limit_reached = True
    if Bridgette >= score_limit:
        score_limit_reached = True
    if Rocky >= score_limit:
        score_limit_reached = True

#prints the final score for each player
print("\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJohn - " + str(John))
print("Elaine - " + str(Elaine))
print("Austin - " + str(Austin))
print("Bridgette - " + str(Bridgette))
print("Rocky - " + str(Rocky) + "\n")

#if any number of players has lost will declare each
#player a poopy, followed by which score was the highest
if John >= score_limit:
    print("John is a poopy!")
if Elaine >= score_limit:
    print("Elaine is a poopy!")
if Austin >= score_limit:
    print("Austin is a poopy!")
if Bridgette >= score_limit:
    print("Bridgette is a poopy!")
if Rocky >= score_limit:
    print("Rocky is a poopy!")

biggest_poopy = str(max(John, Elaine, Austin, Bridgette, Rocky))

print("\nThe biggest poopy is " + biggest_poopy + "!")

Answer 1

Yes, it can be easily done. Just pass some indication of parity into the function. The most straightforward way is to check player_count in the function like this:

def both_across():
    global pass_counter
    global player_count 
    if pass_counter == 1:
        print("WE ARE PASSING LEFT")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 2:
        print("WE ARE PASSING RIGHT")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 3 and player_count%2==0:
        print("WE ARE PASSING ACROSS")
        pass_counter = pass_counter + 1
    elif pass_counter == 3 and player_count%2==1:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        pass_counter = pass_counter - 2
    elif pass_counter == 4:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        pass_counter = pass_counter - 3

But this code is still bad in many ways; the most obvious bad thing is using globals instead of arguments and returning a value.

def both_across(counter, players):
    if counter == 1:
        print("WE ARE PASSING LEFT")
        return counter + 1
    elif counter == 2:
        print("WE ARE PASSING RIGHT")
        return counter + 1
    elif counter == 3 and players%2==0:
        print("WE ARE PASSING ACROSS")
        return counter + 1
    elif counter == 3 and players%2==1:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        return counter - 2
    elif counter == 4:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        return counter - 3
#somewhere down the code...
pass_counter = both_across(pass_counter, player_count)

Now, examining the function gives me an insight: in every branch we can find the returning value without calculations. If we know the value of counter, we can find the value of counter+1, counter-2 etc.:

def both_across(counter, players):
    if counter == 1:
        print("WE ARE PASSING LEFT")
        return 2
    elif counter == 2:
        print("WE ARE PASSING RIGHT")
        return 3
    elif counter == 3 and players%2==0:
        print("WE ARE PASSING ACROSS")
        return 4
    elif counter == 3 and players%2==1:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        return 1
    elif counter == 4:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        return 1

The last two elifs can be combined, probably in the same else:

    ...
    elif counter == 3 and players%2==0:
        print("WE ARE PASSING ACROSS")
        return 4
    else:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        return 1

At this point it becomes clear that pass_counter values are in fact not integers but some symbols. They can be, say, strings - and even that strings we're printing:

pass_counter = "HOLDING"
def both_across(counter, players):
    if counter == "HOLDING":
        print("WE ARE PASSING LEFT")
        return "PASSING LEFT"
    elif counter == "PASSING LEFT":
        print("WE ARE PASSING RIGHT")
        return "PASSING RIGHT"
    elif counter == 3 and players%2==0:
        print("WE ARE PASSING ACROSS")
        return "PASSING ACROSS"
    else:
        print("WE ARE HOLDING")
        return "HOLDING"

And now, we can combine all prints:

pass_counter = "HOLDING"
def both_across(counter, players):
    if counter == "HOLDING":
        return "PASSING LEFT"
    elif counter == "PASSING LEFT":
        return "PASSING RIGHT"
    elif counter == 3 and players%2==0:
        return "PASSING ACROSS"
    else:
        return "HOLDING"

while not score_limit_reached:
    pass_counter = both_across(pass_counter, player_count)
    print("WE ARE", pass_counter)

Good enough?

For the rest of the code: Use functions. Don't leave the code just lying around, gather it into some functions and call them. Use lists and loops. You have the code for five names repeated - gather that into lists like

scores = [0,0,0,0,0]
names = ["John", "Elaine", "Austin", "Bridgette", "Rocky"]
...
for i in range(5):
    scores[i] += int(input(names[i]+': '))
...
for i in range(5):
    print(names[i] + " - " + str(scores[i]))

Use format strings. The last line can be rewritten as

    print(f'{names[i]} - {scores[i]}')

Don't stop learning. Learn classes. This code will make much more sense with classes.