# Guess the computer's number using functions

I am looking to improve the Python Number Guessing Game program:

1. How is the overall structure of the code?

2. Have I used functions to the best of their ability?

3. Can the code be simplified? If yes, please feel free to show how.

4. The replay_game() function especially seems un-pythonic and overkill.

# Guess My Number Game
# MacOSX (Latest), Python 3.4.3, 27/08/2017
# Guess The Computers number between 1-100

from random import randint
from time import sleep

def gen_number():
random_number = randint(0, 101)
return random_number

def intro():
print("Welcome to, Guess My Number!")
print("Simply guess the number between 1-100 that the Computer is 'thinking' of!")
print()

response = None
while response != random_number:
try:
response = int(input(question))
if response > random_number:
print("Lower... ")
elif response < random_number:
print("Higher... ")
else:
correct = response
congrat_winner(correct, random_number)
except ValueError:
print("Invalid. Enter a number between 1-100 ")
return response

def human_guess():
print("Ok Human! Let's begin... ")
sleep(1)
random_number = gen_number() # Named the variable random_number, the same as the variable in gen_number(). Is this good practise?
guess = ask_number("Guess the number: ", random_number)

def congrat_winner(correct, random_number):
if correct == random_number:
print()
print("Calculating results...")
sleep(1)
print()
print("WELL DONE!")
print("The answer was indeed,", str(correct) + "!")

def replay_game():
replay_question = None
while replay_question != 'y' or 'n':
replay_question = input("Would you like to play again (y/n)? ").lower()
if replay_question == 'y':
print()
print("Rebuilding game... ")
main()
elif replay_question == 'n':
print("Goodbye!")
exit()
else:
print("please enter either 'y' or 'n'... ")

def main():
intro()
human_guess()
replay_game()

main()


There is a classic problem in this condition:

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


It always evaluates to True since string n is always truthy.

And, here is a set of code style violations I would work on:

• guess variable inside the human_guess() function is unused
• keep 2 blank lines between the function definition (PEP 8 - Style Guide)
• put the main() function call into under the if __name__ == '__main__':
• the print("Invalid. Enter a number between 1-100 ") is overly indented with 8 spaces, use 4 spaces
• you can use a multi-line string for your intro message:

print("""
Welcome to, Guess My Number!
Simply guess the number between 1-100 that the Computer is 'thinking' of!
""")

• while replay_question not in ('y', 'n'): – Aemyl Aug 27 '17 at 19:54
• Hi there, many thanks for your answer. Was the while loop in replay_question just comparing two string types instead of the content of the strings? – Greg Aug 27 '17 at 20:34
• @Greg If you split up the conditional, you get replay_question != 'y' and 'n'. Since non-empty strings in Python are always truthy, this condition always evaluates to true. – LyricLy Aug 27 '17 at 21:26
• @lyricLy Brilliant, thank you for confirming. Greg. – Greg Aug 27 '17 at 22:51

Just some notes:

The bug:

random_number = randint(0, 101)


returns integers from 0 to 101, including both 0 and 101. The fix:

random_number = randint(1, 100)


(but see the next note).

The magic numbers 1 and 100, moreover repeatedly used. You may define them as constants near the top of your code, e. g.

LOWER_LIMIT = 1
UPPER_LIMIT = 100


and then use them in these (inconsecutive) lines of your code:

random_number = randint(0, 101)

print("Simply guess the number between 1-100 that the Computer is 'thinking' of!")

print("Invalid. Enter a number between 1-100 ")


changing them to

random_number = randint(LOWER_LIMIT, UPPER_LIMIT)     # see fix in the first note

print("Simply guess the number between {}-{} that the Computer is 'thinking' of!"
.format(LOWER_LIMIT, UPPER_LIMIT))

print("Invalid. Enter a number between {}-{} "
.format(LOWER_LIMIT, UPPER_LIMIT))


( {} in strings are replacement fields for parameters in the .format() method.)

• Wow! I haven't been exposed to this sort of formatting before in Python. I really like this. Thank you for pointing it out. In addition, it is far easier to understand when you used the constant variables. Out of interest, do you think I could have put the main() function to better use? Thank you. Greg – Greg Aug 27 '17 at 22:50
• We still learn something new. In Python 3.6+ is even possible to write it more straighforward, without .format() method, with the f string's prefix and expressions directly in the replacement fields {}- print(f"Invalid. Enter a number between {LOWER_LIMIT}-{UPPER_LIMIT} ") – MarianD Aug 27 '17 at 23:54
• It's definitely better to use the main() function - see the last (3rd) part of my another answer with the links for reasoning such practice. – MarianD Aug 28 '17 at 0:00

I would replace random_number = gen_number() with randint(0, 101).

randint is already a function. What is the use in wrapping it in another function which does nothing extra?

• Thank you for your answer. I have edited my question to show improved code. – Greg Aug 28 '17 at 20:40

Your answers (Lower... or Higher... ) are ambiguous - is the answer (guess) lower or is such the unknown number?

Maybe something as "Try lower ..." would be more appropriate.

In your congrat_winner() function

def congrat_winner(correct, random_number):
if correct == random_number:
print()
print("Calculating results...")
sleep(1)
print()
print("WELL DONE!")
print("The answer was indeed,", str(correct) + "!")


is the introductory testing superfluous (and - consequently - the second parameter is needless) as you call that function only after passing the similar test.

So your function may be shortened to

def congrat_winner(correct):
print()
print("Calculating results...")
sleep(1)
print()
print("WELL DONE!")
print("The answer was indeed,", str(correct) + "!")


Subsequently, the part

        else:
correct = response
congrat_winner(correct, random_number)


where you call that function have to be changed to

        else:
congrat_winner(response)      # directly used 'response' instead of 'correct'


(There is no more reason for the correct = response statement.)

• Excellent. Thank you for your feedback. Yes, the if statement in congrat_winner() was useless. Would it be simpler to call the congrat_winner function through human_guess by using the guess variable? Thank you. – Greg Aug 27 '17 at 22:46
• No, it isn't possible as guess is only a local variable of the human_guess, btw. never used so you may simply omit it. To be clear I am going to write another answer about it. – MarianD Aug 27 '17 at 23:23

In the loop where you take input you have the following statement:

    try:
response = int(input(question))
if response > random_number:
print("Lower... ")
elif response < random_number:
print("Higher... ")
else:
correct = response
congrat_winner(correct, random_number)
except ValueError:
print("Invalid. Enter a number between 1-100 ")


If the input is not numeric, you return Invalid. Enter a number between 1-100, but not when your input is outside of the 1-100 range. You might want to add a check for that as well:

    try:
response = int(input(question))
if response not in range(1, 101):
print("Invalid. Enter a number between 1-100 ")
elif response > random_number:
print("Lower... ")
elif response < random_number:
print("Higher... ")
else:
correct = response
congrat_winner(correct, random_number)
except ValueError:
print("Invalid. Enter a number between 1-100 ")

• Hi - thank you, I just spotted this - I have added the new code in the question section above. Greg. – Greg Aug 28 '17 at 20:42

In the last line of your human_guess() function

    guess = ask_number("Guess the number: ", random_number)


you assign the return value of the function ask_number() to a local variable guess which is not accessible from outside of the human_guess() function, so it may be omitted.

So that statement will become just:

ask_number("Guess the number: ", random_number)


Consequently your ask_number() function need not return anything so the last line in its definition

    return response


may be safely deleted, too.

• Great - thank you. I have taken your advice onboard and have updated the code accordingly in the question section. – Greg Aug 28 '17 at 20:40

I have collated and considered all the fantastic answers above and greated the following program. I hope this is of significant use.

# Guess My Number Game
# MacOSX (Latest), Python 3.4.3, 28/08/2017
# Guess the Computers number between 1-100

from random import randint
from time import sleep
import sys

LOWER_LIMIT = 1
UPPER_LIMIT = 100

def intro():
print("""
Welcome to, Guess My Number!
Simply guess the number between {}-{} that the Computer is 'thinking' of!
You will have the option of replaying the game. First, guess the number!

Ok Human, let's begin... """
.format(LOWER_LIMIT, UPPER_LIMIT
))
sleep(1)

response = None
while response != random_number:
try:
response = int(input(question))
if response not in range(LOWER_LIMIT, UPPER_LIMIT):
print("Invalid. Enter a number between {}-{} "
.format(LOWER_LIMIT, UPPER_LIMIT))
elif response < random_number:
print("Try Higher... ")
elif response > random_number:
print("Try Lower... ")
else:
congrat_winner(response)
except ValueError:
print("Invalid. Enter a number between {}-{} "
.format(LOWER_LIMIT, UPPER_LIMIT))

def human_guess():
random_number = randint(LOWER_LIMIT, UPPER_LIMIT)

def congrat_winner(winning_guess):
print()
print("Calculating results...")
sleep(1)
print("CONGRATULATIONS")
print("The answer was indeed,", str(winning_guess) + "!")

def replay_game():
replay_question = None
while replay_question not in ('y', 'n'):
replay_question = input("Would you like to play again (y/n)? ").lower()
if replay_question == 'y':
print("Rebuilding game... ")
sleep(1)
main()
elif replay_question == 'n':
print("Goodbye... ")
break
else:
print("please enter either 'y' or 'n'... ")

def main():
intro()
print()
human_guess()
print()
replay_game()
print()
return 0

if __name__ == '__main__':
sys.exit(main())