Multiple assignment from method results in TypeError: Int is not iterable in Python

Question

I am on a basic problem which outputs the number of coins types to be used to reach a sum which is inputted at method call.

Although I could do it in some other ways, I wanted to create a method and wanted to use multiple assignments.

The divide method is supposed to get 2 inputs, and should return division and remaining of the original value.

def divide(coin,value):
    if value >= coin:
        remains = value % coin
        value = (value - remains) / coin
        return value, remains
    else:
        return 0

The main function is below, it calls the divide function, sending coin and value as arguments, to have the number of coins and initial value to be updated.

def stamps(x):
    fives, x = divide(5, x)
    twos, x = divide(2, x)
    print(fives, twos, x)  

print stamps(0)

This works fine when the coin outputs are calculated as positive integers. (like an input of 8 will output (1,1,1)) But If one or more coins are calculated as 0 (like, if you send 5, the output should be(1,0,0)) but it gives the following error:

twos, x = divide(2, x) TypeError: 'int' object is not iterable

I did not use any iterations (not on purpose at least). Why am I having this error? If value is smaller than the coin, divide method should return 0 isn't that correct?

Return a two element tuple as default e.g. `return 0, 0` – Moses Koledoye Mar 30 '17 at 13:59 — Moses Koledoye, Mar 30 '17 at 13:59

Ashish Srivastava · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-30T14:12:35.780

4

Your code is correct, the only problem is that you're returning only one value in else conditions, this is throwing this error.

Try the code below-

def divide(coin, value):
if value >= coin:
    remains = value % coin
    value = (value - remains) / coin
    return value, remains
else:
    return 0, 0  #or return 0, value

def stamps(x):
    fives, x = divide(5, x)
    twos, x = divide(2, x)
    print(fives, twos, x)

print(stamps(0))

edited Mar 30 '17 at 14:12

answered Mar 30 '17 at 14:06

Ashish Srivastava

124
1
5

Just a note: it's perhaps better to return `0, value` otherwise the remainder value is "lost". – Wombatz Mar 30 '17 at 14:10
Yup!, thanks for mentioning it, I made the relevant changes. – Ashish Srivastava Mar 30 '17 at 14:13
Thanks for the reply, it is emberassing not to notice that :/ – devwanderer Mar 30 '17 at 16:30

Multiple assignment from method results in TypeError: Int is not iterable in Python

1 Answers1