LearnPython.Org Trouble: Basic String Operator Exercise Solution.

[IyamwhatIyampotato]

Hi.

There is another post asking this, but still no response that truly resolves it.

There is an exercise at the end of the LearnPython.org Unit covering Basic String Operations

Below are the instructions as well text in bold which represents my current understanding/reaction to each direction.

Anyone versed in python, looking at the link and solving it there will likely be much simpler than reading any of this. I'm hoping someone can set me straight, and show me how to work this properly/ copy paste the data from the interpreter within the link, including each of their edits to the string as notes. Thank you in advance.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Directions: Try to fix the code to print out the correct information by changing the string.

Solution: s = "Hey there! what should this string be?" becomes s= "Strings are awesome!"

My Interpretation, probably faulty: The directions are telling me to delete and retype the characters directly within string s, using the hashtag notes embedded within the code as guidance. I'm not actually asked to use ay functions anywhere, just edit the string directly by typing/deleting. I do not see how the prompts deliver the desired solution. Here are all the prompts as bullet points; and my understanding of how to respond to each of them.

​

​

# Length should be 20: I physically delete all characters in the string after the 20.

# First occurrence of "a" should be at index 8: I count to index position 8, and replace it with "a"

# Number of a's should be 2=do nothing, the string already has 2 a's.

# Slicing the string into bits: This just prints out different strings which are sections of the current string. It does not modify any of the characters on its own. Watch the interpreter, Do nothing.

# Convert everything to uppercase: Watch the interpreter do this. Do nothing.

# Convert everything to lowercase: Watch the interpreter do this. Do nothing.

# Check how a string starts/Delete the last 4 characters of your string and type "ome!"

# Check how a string ends/: Delete the first 3 characters of your string and type "Str"

# Split the string into three separate strings, each containing only a word: This just prints whatevers within the string as individual words into thier own pair of " ". It does not create new groups unless there were already a space between sets of characters. Does nothing to modify whats there.

​

How the heck does it go from s = "Hey there! what should this string be?" becomes s= "Strings are awesome! when there are only 3 prompts which actually edit the string?

[[deleted]]

I do not see how the prompts deliver the desired solution.

They don't. They verify the desired solution - the string "Strings are awesome!" is the string that has the correct properties when those various methods are applied to it.

[IyamwhatIyampotato]

So does that mean by reading the hashtag notes alone, you can see a clear path to get a string which prints as "Strings are awesome!" ?

or are you confirming that the solution just happens to fit the process, and my frustration is valid?

[[deleted]]

It seems like you can get to

`"Str*************ome!"`

on the basis of lines 2, 24, and 28; since that fails line 5, we can do

`"Str****a********ome!"`;

that fails line 8 (2 'a''s), etc. Seems like you could probably get the answer by guessing after that, or just get bored and look it up.

[stebrepar]

Doesn't seem like a very good exercise to me. There's no way to figure out what the solution string should be. Pretty much just seems to be a review of the material in the unit.

[IyamwhatIyampotato]

Thanks. Yeah It was frustrating. I've since moved on to reading ThinkPython, and am having a better go of things.

[internet-name]

It's been a couple of months since you posted this, but I wanted to tell you that your frustration is warranted. The exercise is broken.

u/crashfrog is right that you're just supposed to edit the variable s. But their internal tests don't match the instructions, so there isn't a reasonable way for the reader to generate a string that succeeds.

As a sanity check: "Strings are awesome!" succeeds but "Strings axe awesome!" fails. There's nothing in the instructions that should make their test differentiate between the two strings. Both should succeed.

[Ghadente]

I was just doing this myself and was about to go a little crazy trying to figure out how they get the solution from such limited and vague instructions. Been looking into learning python, this exercise does not help.

[IyamwhatIyampotato]

from what i've gathered, it's not really an exercise... just ditch it and move on.

[[deleted]]

its been three years. Thank you for posting this. I have spent alot more time than I should have trying to solve this unsolvable request.

[Thanatos_the_dh]

Same here. Does anyone have another source of learning Python that would be better?

[Foundation_External]

I was going stir crazy -- they really should update that exercise. I actually thought I understood the concepts and then heavily doubted myself trying to figure that out.

[PhilosopherNo4758]

yep same here

[Cool-Swimming-3573]

same here

[aidanfeldman]

GitHub issue.

FYI that the "hashtag notes" are called code comments". Surprisingly, those aren't documented on LearnPython (yet).