Python. Incorrect result

Question

I am a fairly new beginner to python. I wrote a code with subroutines to find the largest number and smallest number and the range between the numbers. However the answer to my test data comes up wrong while I am trying to find the largest number, smallest number and even the range.. Test data x=12, y=6, z=2 shows that the largest number is y.

note: variables are output1 for what choice 1 prints and so on

x = input("Enter x:")
y = input("Enter y:")
z = input("Enter z:")
if x>y and x>z :
 output1 = 'x is the largest'
 large = x
elif (y>x and y>z):
 output1 = 'y is the largest'
 large = y
elif (z>x and z>y):
 output1 = 'z is the largest'
 large = z
else :
 output1 ='all numbers are equal'
 large = 0
if x<y and x<z :
 output2 = 'x is the smallest'
 small = x
elif (y<x and y<z):
 output2 = 'y is the smallest'
 small = y
elif (z<x and z<y):
 output2 = 'z is the smallest'
 small = z
else :
 output2 = 'all numbers are equal'
 small = 0
output3 = large-small
outputq = "Bye" 
print("[1] Find the highest variable.")
print("[2] Find the lowest variable.")
print("[3] Find the range between the highest and the lowest variables.")
print("[q] Quit.")
while outputq == ('Bye'):
 choice = input("Enter choice number:")
 if choice == '1' :print (output1)
 elif choice == '2' :print (output2)
 elif choice == '3' :print (output3)
 elif choice == 'q' :
 print (outputq)
 outputq="end"
 input ()

• Chris: FYI: "Subroutines" are commonly called functions in Python. But actually, I don't see any functions in your code.
• Smile DE Souza: I meant 3 different purposes as in Lowest variable /Highest variable / Range
• Josh Lee: stackoverflow.com/questions/20449427/… stackoverflow.com/questions/4915361/…
• Sven Marnach: Note that the fact that there is no single number bigger or smaller than the other two does by no means imply that all number are equal. It just implies that the two biggest or the two smallest numbers are equal.
• Smile DE Souza: @SvenMarnach I dont understand.If the two smallest numbers or largest number are equal the code will ignore it and output the smallest / bigger number

Answer 1

if x>y and x>z : in your code compares strings, not numbers, because input() returns string. Convert it to int:

x = int(input("Enter x:"))
y = int(input("Enter y:"))
z = int(input("Enter z:"))

• Sven Marnach: Let's hope the OP is using Python 3, but given the behaviour they are observing it seems likely.
• ingvar: python3 I think, because print()
• Sven Marnach: Yeah, I noticed, but it's all print() with just a single argument, so it would do the same thing in Python 2.
• Smile DE Souza: I am using Python 3

Answer 2

I have restructured your code and divided into functions

First find largest

def find_largest(data):
 x, y, z = data
 print('\nx = {}, y = {}, z = {}'.format(x,y,z))
 a=''
 if x>y and x>z :
 a = 'x is the largest'
 elif (y>z):
 a = 'y is the largest'
 else:
 a = 'z is the largest'
 return a

Find Lowest

def find_lowest(data):
 x, y, z = data
 print('\nx = {}, y = {}, z = {}'.format(x,y,z))
 b = ''
 if x<y and x<z :
 b = 'x is the smallest'
 elif (y<z):
 b = 'y is the smallest'
 else:
 b = 'z is the smallest'
 return b

Find Mid range

def find_mid(data):
 return (max(data)-min(data))

Final, code snippet

data = [12,6,2] # used list to pass data
print("[1] Find the highest variable.")
print("[2] Find the lowest variable.")
print("[3] Find the range between the highest and the lowest variables.")
print("[q] Quit.")
d = ''
while d != 'Bye':
 choice = input("Enter choice number:")
 if choice == '1' :
 print (find_largest(data))
 elif choice == '2' :
 print (find_lowest(data))
 elif choice == '3' :
 print (find_mid(data))
 elif choice == 'q' :
 d = 'Bye'
 print(d)

Check the working code on below link

Find Largest/lowest and mid

This link will help you to understand the flow of your code. Click on forward button to understand the steps.