numeric value of a single name.

**bvdet** · Mar 1 '07, 03:26 AM

Originally posted by shycat518

I'm having trouble writing a program that calculates the numeric value of a single name. . .

ie: a = 1, b = 2, and so on.

I have to use the ASCII character set and ord function. And I have to force the upper/lower case.

Anyone? I'm new to Python and I'm trying to learn it. :(

I do not understand your problem. I doubt this is what you are looking for:

Code:

>>> def char_value(character):
... 	return ord(character)-96
... 
>>> char_value('A')
-31
>>> char_value('a')
1
>>> char_value('b')
2
>>>

Perhaps you could post some of your own code to give us a better understanding of what you are trying to accomplish.

**shycat518** · Mar 1 '07, 03:43 AM

That could help. . . Right now, all I have is (the beginning of it).

def main():

print "Numeric value for a single name"
name = raw_input("Plea se enter your first name: ")

I've been trying to write this program for a while, but I've been stuck. I'm very new at this.

**bvdet** · Mar 1 '07, 03:58 AM

Originally posted by shycat518

That could help. . . Right now, all I have is (the beginning of it).

def main():

print "Numeric value for a single name"
name = raw_input("Plea se enter your first name: ")

I've been trying to write this program for a while, but I've been stuck. I'm very new at this.

Maybe this will help:

Code:

>>> def char_value(character):
... 	return ord(character)-96
... 
>>> sum = 0
>>> name = 'Bill'
>>> for letter in name:
... 	sum += char_value(letter)
... 	
>>> sum
3
>>>

**shycat518** · Mar 1 '07, 04:49 AM

Hmm, I messed up somewhere else and it wouldn't even let me run it. So I'm going to stop for tonight. :(

What I'm trying to do with this program is have a name entered, add up the value, and come up with a sum.

example: Zelle
26 + 5 + 12 + 12 + 5 = 60

It sounds like an somewhat easy program (since this would be my fourth one), but after staring at it for a few hours, it's not that easy anymore.

**ghostdog74** · Mar 1 '07, 01:54 PM

Originally posted by shycat518

Hmm, I messed up somewhere else and it wouldn't even let me run it. So I'm going to stop for tonight. :(

What I'm trying to do with this program is have a name entered, add up the value, and come up with a sum.

example: Zelle
26 + 5 + 12 + 12 + 5 = 60

It sounds like an somewhat easy program (since this would be my fourth one), but after staring at it for a few hours, it's not that easy anymore.

seems like you are just substituting alphabet values with numbers, irregardless of caps or small letters. so i guess for this case, you can map each letter to a number, since there are only 26 of them

Code:

alpha2num = { 'a' : 1, 'b' : 2, #and so on}
print "Numeric value for a single name"
name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
total = 0
for ch in name:
   total = total + alpha2num[ch]

print total

**dshimer** · Mar 1 '07, 02:31 PM

If you use the ord() examples, you can force the case before the letters are evaluated using either upper() or lower().

Code:

>>> Astring='SomeLetters'
>>> Astring.upper()
'SOMELETTERS'
>>> Astring.lower()
'someletters'

**shycat518** · Mar 1 '07, 11:47 PM

Originally posted by ghostdog74

seems like you are just substituting alphabet values with numbers, irregardless of caps or small letters. so i guess for this case, you can map each letter to a number, since there are only 26 of them

Code:

alpha2num = { 'a' : 1, 'b' : 2, #and so on}
print "Numeric value for a single name"
name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
total = 0
for ch in name:
   total = total + alpha2num[ch]

print total

I've tried the 'a' : 1 before, but for some odd reason python keeps saying it's wrong.

**ghostdog74** · Mar 2 '07, 12:09 AM

Originally posted by shycat518

I've tried the 'a' : 1 before, but for some odd reason python keeps saying it's wrong.

remove the comment #and so on in my example.
you should create the dictionary from a to z

Code:

alpha2num = { 'a':1 , 'b':2 , 'c': 3 ....'z';:26}

if not, show what's the error you got

**shycat518** · Mar 2 '07, 12:23 AM

Code:

def main():
    alpha2num = ('a'[B]:[/B]1 , 'b':2 , 'c':3 , 'd':4 , 'e':5 , 'f':6 , 'g':7 , 'h':8 , 'i':9 , 'j':10 , 'k':11, 'l':12, 'm':13, 'n':14, 'o':15, 'p':16, 'q':17 , 'r':18 , 's':19 , 't':20 , 'u':21 , 'v':22, 'w':23 , 'x':24 , 'y':25 , 'z':26)
    print "Numeric value for a single name"
    name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
    total = 0
    for ch in name:
        total = total + alpha2num[ch]

    print total

main ()

Keeps saying that the ":" is wrong for some unknown reason. :(

**bartonc** · Mar 2 '07, 12:49 AM

Originally posted by shycat518

Code:

def main():
    alpha2num = ('a'[B]:[/B]1 , 'b':2 , 'c':3 , 'd':4 , 'e':5 , 'f':6 , 'g':7 , 'h':8 , 'i':9 , 'j':10 , 'k':11, 'l':12, 'm':13, 'n':14, 'o':15, 'p':16, 'q':17 , 'r':18 , 's':19 , 't':20 , 'u':21 , 'v':22, 'w':23 , 'x':24 , 'y':25 , 'z':26)
    print "Numeric value for a single name"
    name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
    total = 0
    for ch in name:
        total = total + alpha2num[ch]

    print total

main ()

Keeps saying that the ":" is wrong for some unknown reason. :(

A couple of things:
I've added code tags to your post. Please read the "POSTING GUIDELINES" to learn how to do this. It will help us help you.

alpha2num is a dictionary. Dictionaries use curly braces {} not parens (). That should do it.

Also, you can copy for the posts here and paste then in you Py editor (when there are code tags used OR when you hit Reply.
Hope that helps. Keep posting,
Barton

**bartonc** · Mar 2 '07, 12:55 AM

Originally posted by bvdet

Maybe this will help:

Code:

>>> def char_value(character):
... 	return ord(character)-96
... 
>>> sum = 0
>>> name = 'Bill'
>>> for letter in name:
... 	sum += char_value(letter)
... 	
>>> sum
3
>>>

Combine and simplifying two good suggestions:

Code:

def char_value(character):
    return ord(character)-96print "Numeric value for a single name"

name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ")
name = name.lower()
sum = 0
for letter in name:
    sum += char_value(letter)
print sum

**shycat518** · Mar 2 '07, 01:13 AM

Yay, I'm so happy, it finally worked thanks to all you guys. :) I was starting to think Python hated me.

**bartonc** · Mar 2 '07, 01:39 AM

Originally posted by shycat518

Yay, I'm so happy, it finally worked thanks to all you guys. :) I was starting to think Python hated me.

Don't keep us in suspence! Post some working code (remember to figure out how to use code tags). You can edit your post for up to 5 minutes to try and get it right. Thanks for joining. I'm glad that you are making progress.

**shycat518** · Mar 2 '07, 02:35 AM

Thanks to everyone's advice, here's the final coding. :)

Code:

def main():
    alpha2num = {'a':1 , 'b':2 , 'c':3 , 'd':4 , 'e':5 , 'f':6 , 'g':7 , 'h':8 , 'i':9 , 'j':10 , 'k':11, 'l':12, 'm':13, 'n':14, 'o':15, 'p':16, 'q':17 , 'r':18 , 's':19 , 't':20 , 'u':21 , 'v':22, 'w':23 , 'x':24 , 'y':25 , 'z':26 }
    print "Numeric value for a single name"
    name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
    total = 0
    for ch in name:
        total = total + alpha2num[ch]
    print total
main ()

Outcome:
Numeric value for a single name
Please enter your first name: Shycat
Numeric value of name:
76

numeric value of a single name.

numeric value of a single name.

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