Arithmetic Formatter What is this failing for?

[tblacknc]

I am failing for output formatting however, the comparison of outputs seem the same to me. Any idea what is wrong with this formatting … code is below: Thanks

import re

def spaces(count, val):
    rtn = ""
    for x in range(count):
        rtn = rtn + val
    return rtn

def arithmetic_arranger(problems, *true):
    arranged_problems = ""

    line1 = ""
    line2 = ""
    line3 = ""
    line4 = ""
    cnt = 0
    for x in problems:
        cnt += 1

        if cnt > 5:
            return "Error: Too many problems."

        y = x.split()
        
        try:
            int(y[0])
            int(y[2])
        except:
            return "Error: Numbers must only contain digits."
        
        if y[1] == "+":
            sum = int(y[0]) + int(y[2])
        elif y[1] == "-":
            sum = int(y[0]) - int(y[2])
        else:
            return "Error: Operator must be \'+\' or \'-\'."
        sum = str(sum)

        if len(y[0]) > len(y[2]):
            space1 = len(y[0])
        else:
            space1 = len(y[2])
        
        if len(y[0]) > 4 or len(y[2]) > 4:
            return "Error: Numbers cannot be more than four digits."

        spaceneeded = space1 - len(y[0]) + 2
        line1 = line1 + spaces(spaceneeded," ")+y[0] + "    "

        spaceneeded = space1 - len(y[2]) + 1
        line2 = line2 + "" + y[1] + spaces(spaceneeded," ") + y[2]+"    "

        spaceneeded = space1 + 2
        line3 = line3 + "" + spaces(spaceneeded, "-")+"    "

        if true :
            spaceneeded = space1 - len(str(sum)) + 2
            line4 = line4 + " " + spaces(spaceneeded, " ") + sum + "   "

    expected = "    3      3801      45      123\n+ 855    -    2    + 43    +  49\n-----    ------    ----    -----"
    line1 = re.sub("    $","", line1)
    line2 = re.sub("    $", "", line2)
    line3 = re.sub("    $", "", line3)
    line4 = re.sub("    $", "", line4)

    expected = line1 + "\n" + line2 + "\n" + line3+ "\n"+line4

    return expected


print (arithmetic_arranger(["3 + 855", "3801 - 2", "45 + 43", "123 + 49"]))
print("    3      3801      45      123\n+ 855    -    2    + 43    +  49\n-----    ------    ----    -----")

[JeremyLT]

I’ve edited your post for readability. When you enter a code block into a forum post, please precede it with a separate line of three backticks and follow it with a separate line of three backticks to make it easier to read.

You can also use the “preformatted text” tool in the editor (</>) to add backticks around text.

See this post to find the backtick on your keyboard.
Note: Backticks (`) are not single quotes (’).

[JeremyLT]

@tblacknc

expected = "    3      3801      45      123\n+ 855    -    2    + 43    +  49\n-----    ------    ----    -----"
  

The first problem that jumps out to me is the fact that you are hardcoding one specific answer into your function.

[tblacknc]

Thanks for the help with the formatting.

This assignment line was there for debugging/comparing the outputs. It was overwritten a few lines later. That section of code has changed to the below but still fails:

    line1 = re.sub("    $","", line1)
    line2 = re.sub("    $", "", line2)
    line3 = re.sub("    $", "", line3)
    line4 = re.sub("    $", "", line4)

    arranged_problems = line1 + "\n" + line2 + "\n" + line3+ "\n"+line4

    return arranged_problems

[JeremyLT]

I don’t understand what the regex part is doing for you.

What exactly do the failing tests say?

[tblacknc]

I had 4 trailing spaces in the individual line variables that I took out to match the expected output.

Here is the output of the test:

~/boilerplate-arithmetic-formatter-1$ python test_module.py 
F..F..
======================================================================
FAIL: test_arrangement (__main__.UnitTests)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "test_module.py", line 10, in test_arrangement
    self.assertEqual(actual, expected, 'Expected different output when calling "arithmetic_arranger()" with ["3 + 855", "3801 - 2", "45 + 43", "123 + 49"]')
AssertionError: '    [36 chars]   -    2    + 43    +  49\n-----    ------    ----    -----\n' != '    [36 chars]   -    2    + 43    +  49\n-----    ------    ----    -----'
      3      3801      45      123
  + 855    -    2    + 43    +  49
- -----    ------    ----    -----
?                                 -
+ -----    ------    ----    ----- : Expected different output when calling "arithmetic_arranger()" with ["3 + 855", "3801 - 2", "45 + 43", "123 + 49"]

======================================================================
FAIL: test_solutions (__main__.UnitTests)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "test_module.py", line 39, in test_solutions
    self.assertEqual(actual, expected, 'Expected solutions to be correctly displayed in output when calling "arithmetic_arranger()" with arithmetic problems and a second argument of `True`.')
AssertionError: '   3[72 chars] ------    ----    -----\n  -666     -3800      88      172   ' != '   3[72 chars] ------    ----    -----\n -666     -3800      88      172'
     32         1      45      123
  - 698    - 3801    + 43    +  49
  -----    ------    ----    -----
-   -666     -3800      88      172   ? -                                ---
+  -666     -3800      88      172 : Expected solutions to be correctly displayed in output when calling "arithmetic_arranger()" with arithmetic problems and a second argument of `True`.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ran 6 tests in 0.002s

FAILED (failures=2)
~/boilerplate-arithmetic-formatter-1$ 

[JeremyLT]

Have you heard of trim? At least one of those looks like a whitespace at the end issue.

[tblacknc]

I looked for trim but didn’t find it, found strip() which also takes off leading white space. just found rstrip which looks like the same as trim… is there a direct trim function?

[JeremyLT]

Oh, right, Python calls trim() strip() instead. You want strip().

[JeremyLT]

@tblacknc

line4 = line4 + " " + spaces(spaceneeded, " ") + sum + " "

Your other issue is the fact that you are adding an extra space here. Why add that " " here or the "" in the other lines?

[tblacknc]

Yea I saw I was failing the True test, wanted to get past the general one first. Looks like I am passing now. Thanks a lot for your help.

~/boilerplate-arithmetic-formatter-1$ python test_module.py 
......
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ran 6 tests in 0.001s

OK
~/boilerplate-arithmetic-formatter-1$