The following code is supposed to take in a number, and print number!:
n = int(raw_input("Number: "))
x = n-1
while 1:
t = n*x
while x 1:
x -= 1
else:
break
print t
Why isn't it working, and how can I make it print out the correct output?
Thanks in advance,
Nathan
Early to bed,
Early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Franklin
Tutor maillist - Tutor (AT) python (DOT) org

I'd do it like this And there's probably an even quicker way, if
you really sat down and thought about it.

n = int(raw_input("Number: "))
x = n-1
while x 1:
n *=x
x -=1
print n

The reason why it isn't working is because of
"
while x 1:
x -= 1
"
When your program hits this point it stays in the while loop,
subtracting 1 from x each time, but not multiplying anything anymore,
until it hits break. So your program does this.

Number: 4
n = 5
x = 4
t = 20
x = 3
x = 2
x = 1
BREAK.

Cheers!

15/08/05, Nathan Pinno <falcon3166 (AT) hotmail (DOT) comwrote:

The following code is supposed to take in a number, and print number!:
n = int(raw_input("Number: "))
x = n-1
while 1:
t = n*x
while x 1:
x -= 1
else:
break
print t

Why isn't it working, and how can I make it print out the correct output?

Thanks in advance,
Nathan

Early to bed,
Early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Franklin

Tutor maillist - Tutor (AT) python (DOT) org

>
>
>
>

Tutor maillist - Tutor (AT) python (DOT) org

The following code is supposed to take in a number, and print
number!:
n = int(raw_input("Number: "))
x = n-1
while 1:
t = n*x
while x 1:
x -= 1
else:
break
print t

Why isn't it working, and how can I make it print out the correct
output?

So give is a clue! What is it doing wrong? Is there an error message?
What output did you expect? What did you get?

Without that information we have to read the code and guess what you
were trying to do. Then try to guess what might be different to what
you expected.

Alan G.

Tutor maillist - Tutor (AT) python (DOT) org

The following code is supposed to take in a number, and print
number!:
n = int(raw_input("Number: "))
x = n-1
while 1:
t = n*x
while x 1:
x -= 1
else:
break
print t

Why isn't it working, and how can I make it print out the correct
output?

So give is a clue! What is it doing wrong? Is there an error message?
What output did you expect? What did you get?

Without that information we have to read the code and guess what you
were trying to do. Then try to guess what might be different to what
you expected.

Alan G.

Tutor maillist - Tutor (AT) python (DOT) org

The following code is supposed to take in a number, and print number!:
n = int(raw_input("Number: "))
x = n-1
while 1:
t = n*x
while x 1:
x -= 1
else:
break
print t

Why isn't it working, and how can I make it print out the correct output?

thing you might find handy is IDLE's debugger (if you use IDLE).
Turn it on under Debug / Debugger. Make sure the "Source" checkbox is
checked. Then hit the step button to run your program in "slow motion"
so you can see everything it does one step at a time.

(You might have to temporarily click the output window to the front
when the raw_input wants you to type a number)

Alan

Tutor maillist - Tutor (AT) python (DOT) org

I put in a 4 and expected 24, and instead got 12. It is supposed to give 4!
not 4*3.

Early to bed,
Early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Franklin

Message
From: "Alan G" <alan.gauld (AT) freenet (DOT) co.uk>
To: "Nathan Pinno" <falcon3166 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>; "Tutor mailing list"
<tutor (AT) python (DOT) org>
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 2:20 AM
Subject: Re: [Tutor] How can I make this run right?


>The following code is supposed to take in a number, and print number!:
>n = int(raw_input("Number: "))
>x = n-1
>while 1:
>t = n*x
>while x 1:
>x -= 1
>else:
>break
>print t
>>
>Why isn't it working, and how can I make it print out the correct output?
>
So give is a clue! What is it doing wrong? Is there an error message?
What output did you expect? What did you get?

Without that information we have to read the code and guess what you
were trying to do. Then try to guess what might be different to what
you expected.

Alan G.

Tutor maillist - Tutor (AT) python (DOT) org

I put in a 4 and expected 24, and instead got 12. It is supposed to give
4!
not 4*3.
[snip rest of message]

nathan
your problem is easy to see
>n = int(raw_input("Number: "))
>x = n-1
>while 1:
>t = n*x
>while x 1:
>x -= 1
>else:
>break
>print t

think about it for a *while*
Hint *while*
hint hint *change the while*
hint hint hint *the inner while*

nathan I see that you want to do n!(factorial)
but when you explained it you just said you wanted number!
which is confusing because I think everyone thought you were just excited.
you could always use a recursive function for factorial, IE.

def factorial(n):
if n 1:
return factorial(n-1) * n
else:
return n

HTH,
Luke
P.S. Try to fix yours it'll help you. tell me if you get it working
correctly.

Tutor maillist - Tutor (AT) python (DOT) org

>I put in a 4 and expected 24, and instead got 12. It is supposed to
>give 4!
not 4*3.

Thanks Nathan. It would be good to get that kind of detail when you
post
the initial message. Your function didn't look like the usual
factorial
function.

FWIW here is my version :-)

def factorial(n):
result = 1
for x in range(2,n+1):
result *= x
return result

By avoiding while loops you avoid all the mess of trying to maintain
the counter - one of the most common causes of errors in programming!

For a different approach see the recursion topic in my tutor.

HTH,

Alan G
Author of the Learn to Program web tutor

Tutor maillist - Tutor (AT) python (DOT) org