making local variable work???? Help

[coolindienc]

I am not sure what am I supposed to assign for my while loop to work at the bottom. Please help me to understand what I am doing wrong. Below is my code and I have highlighted my main module. I know that is where the problem is.

Andy

from math import *

def menu():
    print "\nSlect one of the following:"
    print "1. Calculate Area of Rectangle"
    print "2. Calculate Area of Circle"
    print "3. Quit"
    menuSel=input("Please enter your selection: ")
    while menuSel!=1 and menuSel!=2 and menuSel!=3:
        menuSel=input("Please re-enter a valid selection of 1, 2, or 3: ")
        return menuSel

def rectangle():
    print "You have chosen a rectangle."
    b=input("enter base  : ")
    h=input("enter height:")
    print "The area is ", b*h
    return

def circle():
    print "You have chosen a circle."
    r=input("enter radius: ")
    print "The area is ",pi*r**2
    return

    
[B]def main():
    choice = menu()
    while menuSel!=3:
        if menuSel==1:
            rectangle()
        elif menuSel==2:
            circle()
        menu()
    return[/B]

main()
raw_input("\nPress enter to exit.")

[bartonc]

def main():
    choice = menu()
    while choice != 3:
        if choice == 1:
            rectangle()
        elif choice == 2:
            circle()
        choice = menu()
    return

functions return values not names. so assign whatever name you want to the value of a fuction.

[fuffens]

from math import *

def menu():
    print "\nSlect one of the following:"
    print "1. Calculate Area of Rectangle"
    print "2. Calculate Area of Circle"
    print "3. Quit"
    menuSel=input("Please enter your selection: ")
    while menuSel!=1 and menuSel!=2 and menuSel!=3:
        menuSel=input("Please re-enter a valid selection of 1, 2, or 3: ")
    return menuSel

def rectangle():
    print "You have chosen a rectangle."
    b=input("enter base  : ")
    h=input("enter height:")
    print "The area is ", b*h
    return

def circle():
    print "You have chosen a circle."
    r=input("enter radius: ")
    print "The area is ",pi*r**2
    return

    
def main():
    choice = menu()
    while choice!=3:
        if choice==1:
            rectangle()
        elif choice==2:
            circle()
        choice = menu()
    return

main()
raw_input("\nPress enter to exit.")

I have updated your main function and menu function to do what I think you want to do. If the menu function returns a local variable named choice you must use that one, not the variable named menuSel from the menu function. In the menu function it was a simple tab fault. Only a correct menu selection should be returned.

Best regards
/Fredrik

[bvdet]

Andy,

Here's another (not necessarily the best) way to use 'while' in menu():

    while True:
        menuSel = input("Please enter your selection (1, 2, or 3): ")
        if menuSel in [1, 2, 3]:
            break
        else:
            print "Invalid Selection"

Unless you need to return a value to the calling function, there is no need to use return:

def main():
    while True:
        choice = menu()
        if choice == 1:
            rectangle()
        elif choice == 2:
            circle()
        else:
            break

Function main returns 'None' with or without 'return'.

[coolindienc]

Fredrik,
That is exactly what I did at first, but as a result I started repeating menu and not actually going for any calculations based on my choice. I will not be able to quit either. I can only go further if I entered wrong choice and I have to enter my choice again from the menu.

Any suggestions why it does so?

[bartonc]

Fredrik,
That is exactly what I did at first, but as a result I started repeating menu and not actually going for any calculations based on my choice. I will not be able to quit either. I can only go further if I entered wrong choice and I have to enter my choice again from the menu.

Any suggestions why it does so?

look at main(). You weren't assigning a new "choice".

[coolindienc]

bartonc,
I did so before just like fredrik said even before I posted the discussion and it was not working. OK here is my copy of old one before I posted the earlier one. Below program does not recognize any of my choices. It keeps giving me menu again as a result.

Andy

from math import *

def menu():
    print "\nSlect one of the following:"
    print "1. Calculate Area of Rectangle"
    print "2. Calculate Area of Circle"
    print "3. Quit"
    menuSel=input("Please enter your selection: ")
    while menuSel!=1 and menuSel!=2 and menuSel!=3:
        menuSel=input("Please re-enter a valid selection of 1, 2, or 3: ")
        return menuSel

def rectangle():
    print "You have chosen a rectangle."
    b=input("enter base  : ")
    h=input("enter height:")
    print "The area is ", b*h
    return

def circle():
    print "You have chosen a circle."
    r=input("enter radius: ")
    print "The area is ",pi*r**2
    return

    
def main():
    choice = menu()
    while choice!=3:
        if choice==1:
            rectangle()
        elif choice==2:
            circle()
        choice = menu()
    return

[bartonc]

Then I don't know what you problem is. After de-indenting return in menu(), it works for me...

from math import *

def menu():
    print "\nSlect one of the following:"
    print "1. Calculate Area of Rectangle"
    print "2. Calculate Area of Circle"
    print "3. Quit"
    menuSel=input("Please enter your selection: ")
    while menuSel!=1 and menuSel!=2 and menuSel!=3:
        menuSel=input("Please re-enter a valid selection of 1, 2, or 3: ")
    return menuSel

def rectangle():
    print "You have chosen a rectangle."
    b=input("enter base  : ")
    h=input("enter height:")
    print "The area is ", b*h

def circle():
    print "You have chosen a circle."
    r=input("enter radius: ")
    print "The area is ",pi*r**2

    
def main():
    choice = menu()
    while choice!=3:
        if choice==1:
            rectangle()
        elif choice==2:
            circle()
        choice = menu()

main()