Help with Arithmetic Formatter please

Python
#1

Hi, I am still a beginner so I tried to create the code in the most comprehensive way I could, but I still can not understand what is the problem with the spaces in the result. I would really appreciate it if someone could help me.

My code:

def arithmetic_arranger(problems, status = False):

    #initialize variables
    numbers1 = []
    oper = []
    numbers2 = []

    if len(problems) > 5:
        return "Error: Too many problems."

    #loops trough values and Checks for errors
    for i in problems :
        problem = i.split()

        numbers1.append(problem[0])

        if problem[1] != "+" and problem[1] != "-":
            return "Error: Operator must be '+' or '-'."

        oper.append(problem[1])

        numbers2.append(problem[2])

        #Checks if the input are only numbers
        if not (problem[0].isdigit() and problem[2].isdigit()):
            return "Error: Numbers must only contain digits."

        #Checks lenght of given numbers 
        if len(problem[0]) > 4 or len(problem[2]) > 4:
            return "Error: Numbers cannot be more than four digits."

    arranged_problems = ""

    #initialize rows 
    topRow = ""
    bottomRow = ""
    separator = ""
    resultsFormat = ""

    #Figures out the amount of spaces in top and bottom row by the lenght of the numbers 
    for i in range(len(problems)):
        if len(numbers1[i]) > len(numbers2[i]):
            totalLen = len(numbers1[i]) + 2 
        
        else:
            totalLen = len(numbers2[i]) + 2

        if i != 0 :

            topRow += "    "
            bottomRow += "    "
            separator += "    "

        #writes top row
        topRow += " " * (totalLen - len(numbers1[i]))
        topRow += numbers1[i]

        #writes bottom row
        bottomRow += oper[i] + ( " " * (totalLen - len(numbers2[i]) - 1))
        bottomRow += numbers2[i]
        
        #writes separator
        separator += "-" * totalLen


    arranged_problems = "{}\n{}\n{}" .format(topRow, bottomRow, separator)
    
    #Calculates the results
    if status == True :
        
        for i in range(len(problems)):
            
            if oper[i] == "+":
                result = int(numbers1[i]) + int(numbers2[i])
            
            elif oper[i] == "-":
                result = int(numbers1[i]) - int(numbers2[i])

            if i != 0 :                
                resultsFormat += "    "

            resultsFormat +=  " " * (totalLen - len(str(result)))
            resultsFormat += str(result)

        arranged_problems +=  "\n{}" .format(resultsFormat) 
            
    return arranged_problems

Error message:

   32      3801      45      123
+ 698    -    2    + 43    +  49
-----    ------    ----    -----
...F..
======================================================================
FAIL: test_solutions (test_module.UnitTests)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/runner/boilerplate-arithmetic-formatter/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[68 chars]-    ------    ----    -----\n -666    -3800       88      172' != '   3[68 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 0.006s

FAILED (failures=1)
#2

Look at the difference between the two sides of the Assertion Error:

AssertionError: 
'   3[68 chars]-    ------    ----    -----\n -666    -3800       88      172' != 
'   3[68 chars]-    ------    ----    -----\n -666     -3800      88      172'
#3

your 3800 is one space to the left

#4

I get that, what I do not understand is why that is happening

#5

somewhere in here where you calculate the spaces, you need to check carefully that everything works as expected

1 Like
#6

I managed to use a better way to formate the result string, I still do not understand what was creating that problem, but I finished the challenge anyway.

#7

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