numeric value of a single name.

[shycat518]

I'm having trouble writing a program that calculates the numeric value of a single name. . .

ie: a = 1, b = 2, and so on.

I have to use the ASCII character set and ord function. And I have to force the upper/lower case.

Anyone? I'm new to Python and I'm trying to learn it. :(

[bvdet]

I'm having trouble writing a program that calculates the numeric value of a single name. . .

ie: a = 1, b = 2, and so on.

I have to use the ASCII character set and ord function. And I have to force the upper/lower case.

Anyone? I'm new to Python and I'm trying to learn it. :(

I do not understand your problem. I doubt this is what you are looking for:

>>> def char_value(character):
...     return ord(character)-96
... 
>>> char_value('A')
-31
>>> char_value('a')
1
>>> char_value('b')
2
>>> 

Perhaps you could post some of your own code to give us a better understanding of what you are trying to accomplish.

[shycat518]

That could help. . . Right now, all I have is (the beginning of it).

def main():

print "Numeric value for a single name"
name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ")


I've been trying to write this program for a while, but I've been stuck. I'm very new at this.

[bvdet]

That could help. . . Right now, all I have is (the beginning of it).

def main():

print "Numeric value for a single name"
name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ")


I've been trying to write this program for a while, but I've been stuck. I'm very new at this.

Maybe this will help:

>>> def char_value(character):
...     return ord(character)-96
... 
>>> sum = 0
>>> name = 'Bill'
>>> for letter in name:
...     sum += char_value(letter)
...     
>>> sum
3
>>> 

[shycat518]

Hmm, I messed up somewhere else and it wouldn't even let me run it. So I'm going to stop for tonight. :(

What I'm trying to do with this program is have a name entered, add up the value, and come up with a sum.

example: Zelle
26 + 5 + 12 + 12 + 5 = 60

It sounds like an somewhat easy program (since this would be my fourth one), but after staring at it for a few hours, it's not that easy anymore.

[ghostdog74]

Hmm, I messed up somewhere else and it wouldn't even let me run it. So I'm going to stop for tonight. :(

What I'm trying to do with this program is have a name entered, add up the value, and come up with a sum.

example: Zelle
26 + 5 + 12 + 12 + 5 = 60

It sounds like an somewhat easy program (since this would be my fourth one), but after staring at it for a few hours, it's not that easy anymore.

seems like you are just substituting alphabet values with numbers, irregardless of caps or small letters. so i guess for this case, you can map each letter to a number, since there are only 26 of them

 
alpha2num = { 'a' : 1, 'b' : 2, #and so on}
print "Numeric value for a single name"
name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
total = 0
for ch in name:
   total = total + alpha2num[ch]
 
print total
 
 

[dshimer]

If you use the ord() examples, you can force the case before the letters are evaluated using either upper() or lower().

>>> Astring='SomeLetters'
>>> Astring.upper()
'SOMELETTERS'
>>> Astring.lower()
'someletters'

[shycat518]

seems like you are just substituting alphabet values with numbers, irregardless of caps or small letters. so i guess for this case, you can map each letter to a number, since there are only 26 of them

 
alpha2num = { 'a' : 1, 'b' : 2, #and so on}
print "Numeric value for a single name"
name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
total = 0
for ch in name:
   total = total + alpha2num[ch]
 
print total
 
 

I've tried the 'a' : 1 before, but for some odd reason python keeps saying it's wrong.

[ghostdog74]

I've tried the 'a' : 1 before, but for some odd reason python keeps saying it's wrong.

remove the comment #and so on in my example.
you should create the dictionary from a to z

alpha2num = { 'a':1 , 'b':2 , 'c': 3 ....'z';:26}
 

if not, show what's the error you got

[shycat518]

def main():
    alpha2num = ('a':1 , 'b':2 , 'c':3 , 'd':4 , 'e':5 , 'f':6 , 'g':7 , 'h':8 , 'i':9 , 'j':10 , 'k':11, 'l':12, 'm':13, 'n':14, 'o':15, 'p':16, 'q':17 , 'r':18 , 's':19 , 't':20 , 'u':21 , 'v':22, 'w':23 , 'x':24 , 'y':25 , 'z':26)
    print "Numeric value for a single name"
    name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
    total = 0
    for ch in name:
        total = total + alpha2num[ch]
 
    print total
 
main ()

Keeps saying that the ":" is wrong for some unknown reason. :(

[bartonc]

def main():
    alpha2num = ('a':1 , 'b':2 , 'c':3 , 'd':4 , 'e':5 , 'f':6 , 'g':7 , 'h':8 , 'i':9 , 'j':10 , 'k':11, 'l':12, 'm':13, 'n':14, 'o':15, 'p':16, 'q':17 , 'r':18 , 's':19 , 't':20 , 'u':21 , 'v':22, 'w':23 , 'x':24 , 'y':25 , 'z':26)
    print "Numeric value for a single name"
    name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
    total = 0
    for ch in name:
        total = total + alpha2num[ch]
 
    print total
 
main ()

Keeps saying that the ":" is wrong for some unknown reason. :(

A couple of things:
I've added code tags to your post. Please read the "POSTING GUIDELINES" to learn how to do this. It will help us help you.

alpha2num is a dictionary. Dictionaries use curly braces {} not parens (). That should do it.

Also, you can copy for the posts here and paste then in you Py editor (when there are code tags used OR when you hit Reply.
Hope that helps. Keep posting,
Barton

[bartonc]

Maybe this will help:

>>> def char_value(character):
...     return ord(character)-96
... 
>>> sum = 0
>>> name = 'Bill'
>>> for letter in name:
...     sum += char_value(letter)
...     
>>> sum
3
>>> 

Combine and simplifying two good suggestions:

def char_value(character):
    return ord(character)-96print "Numeric value for a single name"
 
name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ")
name = name.lower()
sum = 0
for letter in name:
    sum += char_value(letter)
print sum
 

[shycat518]

Yay, I'm so happy, it finally worked thanks to all you guys. :) I was starting to think Python hated me.

[bartonc]

Yay, I'm so happy, it finally worked thanks to all you guys. :) I was starting to think Python hated me.

Don't keep us in suspence! Post some working code (remember to figure out how to use code tags). You can edit your post for up to 5 minutes to try and get it right. Thanks for joining. I'm glad that you are making progress.

[shycat518]

Thanks to everyone's advice, here's the final coding. :)

def main():
    alpha2num = {'a':1 , 'b':2 , 'c':3 , 'd':4 , 'e':5 , 'f':6 , 'g':7 , 'h':8 , 'i':9 , 'j':10 , 'k':11, 'l':12, 'm':13, 'n':14, 'o':15, 'p':16, 'q':17 , 'r':18 , 's':19 , 't':20 , 'u':21 , 'v':22, 'w':23 , 'x':24 , 'y':25 , 'z':26 }
    print "Numeric value for a single name"
    name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
    total = 0
    for ch in name:
        total = total + alpha2num[ch]
    print total
main ()
 
 

Outcome:
Numeric value for a single name
Please enter your first name: Shycat
Numeric value of name:
76

[bvdet]

Thanks to everyone's advice, here's the final coding. :)

def main():
    alpha2num = {'a':1 , 'b':2 , 'c':3 , 'd':4 , 'e':5 , 'f':6 , 'g':7 , 'h':8 , 'i':9 , 'j':10 , 'k':11, 'l':12, 'm':13, 'n':14, 'o':15, 'p':16, 'q':17 , 'r':18 , 's':19 , 't':20 , 'u':21 , 'v':22, 'w':23 , 'x':24 , 'y':25 , 'z':26 }
    print "Numeric value for a single name"
    name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
    total = 0
    for ch in name:
        total = total + alpha2num[ch]
    print total
main ()
 
 

Outcome:
Numeric value for a single name
Please enter your first name: Shycat
Numeric value of name:
76

Shycat,

I hope you don't mind. Here is a slightly different version:

def main():
    print "Numeric value for a single name"
    name = raw_input("Please enter your first name: ").lower()
    print name
    total = 0
    for ch in name:
        total += ord(ch)-96
    print total
main ()
 
"""
>>> Numeric value for a single name
shycat
76
>>>
"""

Happy coding! :)

[sigkill9]

I'm working on an expanded version of this code and am wondering how you would modify it to accept an entire name or several names rather than just one?

When you enter a single, one word name this program works great. But when you enter any spaces, instead of Python ignoring them, it assigns them a numeric value of -64 which messes up the correct numeric value of the name.

I know the unicode value for a space is 32, but i'm not sure how to tell Python to assign a value of zero to any spaces encountered in a name (or to simply ignore spaces and not assign anything to them).

Heres the code so far. I made it display the value of each letter so I could see if it was adding up the numbers correctly... this also helps to show whats going on with the spaces):

def main():
 
    print "This program calculates a numeric value for a name.\n"
    name = raw_input("Please enter your first or last name (no spaces): ").lower()
    print "\n","-"*10
    total = 0
    for ch in name:
        total += ord(ch)-96
        print ch,"=",ord(ch)-96
 
    print "-"*10,"\n",name,"=",total
 
main ()

and the result using a full name with spaces:

This program calculates a numeric value for a name.
 
Please enter your first or last name (no spaces): Joe Schmoe
 
----------
j = 10
o = 15
e = 5
  = -64
s = 19
c = 3
h = 8
m = 13
o = 15
e = 5
---------- 
joe schmoe = 29
 

Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance

[bvdet]

I'm working on an expanded version of this code and am wondering how you would modify it to accept an entire name or several names rather than just one?

When you enter a single, one word name this program works great. But when you enter any spaces, instead of Python ignoring them, it assigns them a numeric value of -64 which messes up the correct numeric value of the name.

I know the unicode value for a space is 32, but i'm not sure how to tell Python to assign a value of zero to any spaces encountered in a name (or to simply ignore spaces and not assign anything to them).

Heres the code so far. I made it display the value of each letter so I could see if it was adding up the numbers correctly... this also helps to show whats going on with the spaces):

def main():
 
    print "This program calculates a numeric value for a name.\n"
    name = raw_input("Please enter your first or last name (no spaces): ").lower()
    print "\n","-"*10
    total = 0
    for ch in name:
        total += ord(ch)-96
        print ch,"=",ord(ch)-96
 
    print "-"*10,"\n",name,"=",total
 
main ()

and the result using a full name with spaces:

This program calculates a numeric value for a name.
 
Please enter your first or last name (no spaces): Joe Schmoe
 
----------
j = 10
o = 15
e = 5
  = -64
s = 19
c = 3
h = 8
m = 13
o = 15
e = 5
---------- 
joe schmoe = 29
 

Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance

The following code will skip any non-alpha character:

import string
 
def main():
 
    print "This program calculates a numeric value for a name.\n"
    name = raw_input("Please enter your name: ").lower()
    print "\n","-"*10
    total = 0
    for ch in name:
        if ch in string.ascii_lowercase:
            total += ord(ch)-96
            print ch,"=",ord(ch)-96
 
    print "-"*10,"\n",name,"=",total
 
main ()