A simple python loop issue

Question

This code:

import random
print("\tWelcome to the guess my number program\n")
print("im thinking of a number between 1 and 100")
print("try to guess it in 5 attempts\n")
randomNum = random.randint(1,101)
tries = 0
userNumber = int(input("please pick a number"))
while userNumber != randomNum:
 if userNumber > randomNum:
 print ("lower") 
 else:
 print("higher") 
 tries += 1
print ("you guessed it! the number was" , randomNum)

For some reason this produces an infinite loop. Any help, im still getting used to python.

• 2rs2ts: I don't think this question deserves a downvote. The title is explanatory enough and although the OP is making an elementary mistake, we all did the same when we started.
• Raj Nathani: i'm finding it hard to tell whether the indentation used within the while loop is on purpose or copy+paste formatting error or just a programmatic mistake.
• 2rs2ts: @Relfor The code wouldn't run if OP had actually written his code that way. Can't have an infinite loop if you have an IndentationError. :)
• user1555863: Besides the answer you got, also keep in mind that you prompt the user to try and guess in 5 attempts, and keep a counter of the number of tries, but you apparently forgot to do anything with it - like preventing more than 5 tries or at least printing back how many guesses it took the user.

Answer 1

You never updated your userNumber or randomNum inside the while loop. So once the loop condition is met, it will execute infinitely.

You need to update your while loop as:

while userNumber != randomNum:
 if userNumber > randomNum:
 print ("lower") 
 else:
 print("higher") 
 tries += 1 
 userNumber = int(input("please pick a number"))

• user2533561: so the tries and userNumber are still in the loop itself? Also i have to ask for the userNumber twice in order for this too work? I actually wrote a similar program in java but i dont remember how i did it.
• Rohit Jain: Yes, they both should be inside the loop only. And if you just want the give user two chance, then add the tries in the while loop condition.

Answer 2

You've forgotten to ask the user to guess again. Try this!

while userNumber != randomNum:
 if userNumber > randomNum:
 print("lower")
 else:
 print("higher")
 tries += 1
 userNumber = int(input("please pick a number")

Answer 3

Try This:

import random
print("Welcome to the guess my number program!")
randomnum = random.randint(1, 100)
print("I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 100.")
print("Try to guess it in 5 attempts.")
tries = 0
usernumber = 0
while not usernumber == randomnum:
 usernumber = int(raw_input("please pick a number.")
 if usernumber > randomnum:
 print("Too High")
 if usernumber < randomnum:
 print("Too Low")
 tries = tries + 1
if usernumber == randomnum:
 print("You got the number!")
print("It took you " + str(tries) + " attempts.")