elif only triggering if statement

Question

Using python 2.7.5

x = (raw_input)'''What will you Reply?
a. Nod
b. Answer
c. Stare
'''))

if x == "Nod" or "a" or "nod":
    print '''You nod shyly.
"Oh that's Great"'''
elif x == "Answer" or "b" or "answer":
    print '''You answer in a low tone.
"You can speak!"'''
elif x == "Stare" or "c" or "stare":
    print '''you stare blankly, so does the AI.
"Well okay then."'''

When i then run it no matter what i put in the prompt, it will only trigger '''You nod shyly. "Oh Thats great"'''

But then if i copy this and paste it into my python shell, it has a problem with "Oh" and if i get rid of that, it has a problem with t in "That's" and if i just get rid of "That's great" it has a problem with the first three characters of the next elif statement. WTF is wrong, my python code and shell have been working fine lately, being able to split if and elif. but now all of a sudden it just doesn't want to.

Also see [if x or y or z == blah](http://stackoverflow.com/q/15112125), which is arguably a better dupe target. — Martijn Pieters, Jul 27 '13 at 12:31

score 5 · Answer 1 · edited Jul 27 '13 at 12:36

5

if x == "Nod" or "a" or "nod"

is parsed as

if (x == "Nod") or ("a") or ("nod"):

"a" is Truish, so the condition is always True, whether or not x == "Nod".

Instead you could use:

if x in ("Nod", "a", "nod"):

edited Jul 27 '13 at 12:36

Tim Pietzcker

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answered Jul 27 '13 at 12:33

unutbu

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score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 27 '13 at 12:32

1

if x == "Nod" or "a" or "nod":

This will always lead to True.

You should use

if x in ["Nod", "a", "nod"]

Or

if x == "Nod" or x == "a" or x == "nod"

answered Jul 27 '13 at 12:32

zhangyangyu

8,520
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score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 27 '13 at 12:34

0

Your first condition:

if x == "Nod" or "a" or "nod":

Is always evaluted as true. Try this code:

x = raw_input('What will you Reply? a. Nod b. Answer c. Star ')

if x in ["Nod", "a", "nod"]:
    print '''You nod shyly. "Oh that's Great"'''
elif x in ["Answer", "b", "answer"]:
    print '''You answer in a low tone. "You can speak!"'''
elif x in ["Stare", "c", "stare"]:
    print '''you stare blankly, so does the AI. "Well okay then."'''

answered Jul 27 '13 at 12:34

amatellanes

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2
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ah yay, thanks so much, it works now. i just want to know why it was causing a different output. and causing my shell get pissed at characters of the code. – user2625538 Jul 27 '13 at 12:39

elif only triggering if statement

3 Answers3