Importing + Scope Challenge Question

For this assignment, we’re going to practice importing functions from different files!

Part 0. Setup

Part 0.0 Create Folder

In your CQs folder, you’re going to want to create another folder! Right click on CQs and select “New Folder…”. Name this folder cq04.

Part 0.1 Create Files

Inside your cq04 folder, create the following three files (right click and select “New File…” for each one):

• coordinates.py
• concatenation.py
• visualize.py

Initialize each file with a Docstring and the __author__ variable.

Part 1. concatenation.py

Part 1.1 concat Function

In concatenation.py, write a function that matches the following description:

• Name: concat
• Parameters: two strs
• Return type: str
• Behavior: It should return the concatenation of the two input strings.

Example behavior in REPL

/workspace (main*) > python
>>> from CQs.cq04.concatenation import concat
>>> concat("hello","world")
'helloworld'
>>> concat("123","4567")
'1234567'

Part 1.2 Calling the concat Function

Now, still working in the file concatenation.py, create the global variables word1 with the value "happy" and word2 with the value "tuesday". Print the result of calling concat with the arguments word1 and word2.

Part 2. visualize.py

Part 2.0 Import the function

In visualize.py import the function concat from concatentation.py. Do not call the function yet!

Try running your file either in the trailhead or the terminal.

Reminder: To run your file in the terminal, use python -m CQs.cq04.visualize

What happens? You should see an output! That’s because it is running the entire module including the function call from concatenation.py when you import the function!

2.1 Suppress the function call

Add something to concatenation.py so that the function call still occurs when you run the concatentation.py file, but not when you import it. (Hint: We covered this in our previous lesson! It’s something you’ve commonly used in assignments leading up to this one!)

2.2 Global Variables

Now let’s actually call the concat function in visualize.py!

Let’s first create some global variables! Create variable x with value "123" and y with value "abc". Call concat using x and y as your arguments and print the result!

Part 3. coordinates.py

Part 3.0 get_coords Function

In coordinates.py, write a function that matches the following description:

• Name: get_coords
• Parameters: xs: str and ys: str
• Return type: None
• Behavior: It should print the formatted pairs of each character in the two input strings. (See example.)

>>> from CQs.cq04.coordinates import get_coords
>>> get_coords("12","34")
(1,3)
(1,4)
(2,3)
(2,4)
>>> get_coords("hi","bye")
(h,b)
(h,y)
(h,e)
(i,b)
(i,y)
(i,e)

For this, you’re going want to use a while loop inside another while loop, or a nested while loop. Your outer loop will iterate over every character in xs and your inner loop will iterate over every character in ys and contain the print statement.

Part 3.1 Importing and calling the get_coords function

Now, go back to visualize.py and import the function get_coords from coordinates.py.

Call get_coords using your existing x and y global variables!

Part 4. Submission

For this assignment, you’re actually going to compress the entire cq04 file to submit! You can do this by using the following command:

python -m tools.submission CQs/cq04

As usual, drop the generated .zip file into Gradescope!