how to avoid logic errors in python using the control flow and nested if statements?

Question

I'trying to write code that helps you decide whether you should or shouldn't eat food if you have droppped it. But it doesn't print the decision if too many conditions are met e.g if someone who is a boss/lover/parents has seen me droping the food and if the food isn't expensive and it's chocolate. What is wrong with my code ?? / / See code below / /

decision = ''
condition1 = ''
condition2 = ''
condition3 = ''
condition4 = ''
condition5 = ''
condition6 = ''
condition7 = ''

condition1 = input('Did anyone see you? (yes/no)' + '\n')
if condition1 == 'yes':
    condition2 = input('Was it a boss/lover/parent? (yes/no)' + '\n')

    if condition2  == 'no':
        decision = 'Decision: Eat it'   
    elif condition2 == 'yes':
        condition3 = input('Was it expensinve? (yes/no)' + '\n')
    
    if condition3 == 'yes':
        condition4 == input('can you cut the part that touched the floor? (yes/no)' + '\n')
    if condition4 == 'yes':
        decision = 'Decision: Eat it.'
    elif condition4 == 'no':
        decision = 'Decision: Your call'
    elif condition3 == 'no':
        condition5 == input('Is it chocolate? (yes/no)' + '\n')
    if condition5 == 'no':
        decision = "decision: Don't eat it"
    elif condition5 == "yes":
        decision = 'Decision: Eat it'
    
elif condition1 == 'no':
    decision = 'Decision: Eat it'
print(decision)

I tried nesting my if statements so that python can make a decision based on the conditions that are met or when they are't met. And at the end print the decision. i was expecting python to decide for me whether i should or shouldn't eat the food that I dropped.

score -1 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 14 '23 at 21:39

condition4 == input('can you cut the part that touched the floor? (yes/no)' + '\n')

You're using two equal signs here, which means you're testing if those two things are equal; you're not assigning a value.

Use just one equal sign for assignment.

You've made the same mistake on a few other lines too.

score -1 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 14 '23 at 21:40

You are making two types of errors. First, some of your if statements are not indented to the proper level for the logic you want. Second, you are using the comparator == instead of the assignment = for your input queries.

decision = ''
condition1 = ''
condition2 = ''
condition3 = ''
condition4 = ''
condition5 = ''
condition6 = ''
condition7 = ''

condition1 = input('Did anyone see you? (yes/no)' + '\n')
if condition1 == 'yes':
    condition2 = input('Was it a boss/lover/parent? (yes/no)' + '\n')

    if condition2  == 'no':
        decision = 'Decision: Eat it'   
    elif condition2 == 'yes':
        condition3 = input('Was it expensinve? (yes/no)' + '\n')
    
        if condition3 == 'yes':
            condition4 = input('can you cut the part that touched the floor? (yes/no)' + '\n')
            
            if condition4 == 'yes':
                decision = 'Decision: Eat it.'
            elif condition4 == 'no':
                decision = 'Decision: Your call'
                
        elif condition3 == 'no':
            condition5 = input('Is it chocolate? (yes/no)' + '\n')
            
            if condition5 == 'no':
                decision = "decision: Don't eat it"
            elif condition5 == "yes":
                decision = 'Decision: Eat it'
    
elif condition1 == 'no':
    decision = 'Decision: Eat it'
print(decision)

score -1 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 14 '23 at 21:42

In this section you have an accidental '==' instead of an '=':

if condition3 == 'yes':
    condition4 == input('can you cut the part that touched the floor? (yes/no)' + '\n')

 condition4 == input('can you cut the part that touched the floor? (yes/no)' + '\n')

needs to be

 condition4 = input('can you cut the part that touched the floor? (yes/no)' + '\n')

Good Luck!

score -1 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 14 '23 at 22:08

You might want to look at getting rid of the arrow pattern in your code by looking for more opportunities to cleanly come to a decision. I like to use guards to aid this. I think this does the same thing as your code but it is easier (for me) to follow and I find it easier to see where there might be logic holes.

def should_i_eat_it():
    if "no" == input("Did anyone see you? (yes/no) "):
        return "Eat it"

    if "no" == input("Was it a boss/lover/parent? (yes/no) "):
        return "Eat it"

    if "yes" == input("Was it expensinve? (yes/no) "):
        if "yes" == input("can you cut the part that touched the floor? (yes/no) "):
            return "Eat it"
        return "Your call"

    if "yes" == input("Is it chocolate? (yes/no) "):
        return "Eat it"
    return "Don't eat it"

print(should_i_eat_it())

how to avoid logic errors in python using the control flow and nested if statements?

4 Answers4