In this project, you’ll design a Python program that stores your school timetable (e.g. 5 lessons per day, Monday to Friday) and allows you to quickly find out what lesson you have on any given day and period. Simply enter a day (e.g. Tuesday) and a lesson number (e.g. 2), and the program will instantly tell you what subject you have, who the teacher is, and where the class is held.

Example Output:

Challenge Objectives

By completing this project, you will gain experience with:

• Data Structures: Using dictionaries and lists to store and organise your timetable.
• Input Validation: Taking input from the user and applying validation checks on the data being entered.
• Output Formatting: Creating a user-friendly messages for the user to provide them with the required information.

Step 1: Storing the timetable using dictionaries and lists in Python

To complete this challenge, our first step will be to store our timetable within the code of our program. We will do so by using a combination of dictionaries and lists in Python.

• Dictionaries ({}) are used to store data as key-value pairs. For example, in the Lesson Finder, each day of the week (e.g., “Monday”) is a key, and its value is a list of lessons for that day.
• Lists ([]) are used to store ordered collections of items. In this project, each day’s lessons are stored as a list of dictionaries, where each dictionary contains details like the subject, teacher, and room.

To store the 5-day timetable so we will use a dictionary: Each key will represent a day, and the value will be a list of lessons for that day:

timetable = {
    "Monday": [
        {"subject": "English", "teacher": "TS", "room": "201"},
        {"subject": "Maths", "teacher": "MX", "room": "105"},
        {"subject": "Biology", "teacher": "SC", "room": "302"},
        {"subject": "History", "teacher": "HT", "room": "110"},
        {"subject": "Art", "teacher": "AR", "room": "403"}
    ],
    "Tuesday": [
        {"subject": "Maths", "teacher": "MX", "room": "105"},
        {"subject": "Physics", "teacher": "PH", "room": "301"},
        {"subject": "English", "teacher": "TS", "room": "201"},
        {"subject": "PE", "teacher": "PB", "room": "Gym"},
        {"subject": "ICT", "teacher": "KN", "room": "205"}
    ],
    # Add the rest of your days here
}

JSON Syntax?

If you are familiar with JSON syntax, you may have noticed that the syntax of our timetable built using a mix of dictionaries and lists in Python mirrors the JSON syntax (JavaScript Object Notation). JSON is a lightweight data format that is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. It’s widely used for storing and exchanging data, especially in web applications. In Python, using a combination of dictionaries and lists allows us to create a structured, nested format that is both flexible and easy to work with—just like JSON!

Step 2: Receiving and validating user inputs

Now that we have stored our timetable in our Python code, we can retrieve the two inputs from the user: The day of the Week (Monday to Friday) and the period (1 to 5) of the lesson.

For our first input, we will use a look-Up check to validate the day of the week as we will only accept the following values: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

day = input("Enter the day of the week: ").title()
while day not in ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"]:
   print("Invalid input! Please try again.")
   day = input("Enter the day of the week: ").title()

For our second input, we will use a range check to make sure only a value between 1 and 5 is being entered.

lessonNumber = int(input("Enter the lesson number (1-5): "))
while lessonNumber <1 or lessonNumber >5:
   print("Invalid input! Please try again.")
   lessonNumber = int(input("Enter the lesson number (1-5): "))

Step 3: Extracting the required information from the timetable

The following code enables us to access the different values from our timetable:

lesson = timetable[day][lessonNumber - 1]
subject = lesson["subject"]
teacher = lesson["teacher"]
room = lesson["room"]

We can then output a user-friendly message to the end-user using string concatenation:

print("On " + day + ", lesson " + str(lessonNumber) + ", you have a " + subject + " lesson with " + teacher + " in room " + room + ".")

Python Code

Here is the Python code for this challenge. You can tweak this code to enter your own timetable:

Your Challenge

Can you tweak this code to start by generating a printout of the whole timetable. The output would look like this:

>>> Weekly Timetable <<<

>>> Monday
> Lesson 1: English with TS in room 201.
> Lesson 2: Maths with MX in room 105.
> Lesson 3: Biology with SC in room 302.
> Lesson 4: History with HT in room 110.
> Lesson 5: Art with AR in room 403.

>>> Tuesday
> Lesson 1: Maths with MX in room 105.
> Lesson 2: Physics with PH in room 301.
> Lesson 3: English with TS in room 201.
> Lesson 4: PE with PB in room Gym.
> Lesson 5: ICT with KN in room 205.
...

Solution...

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Are you ready to test your luck and strategy with a Python twist on the classic Uno card game? In Uno Bank, you’ll start with $10 in your virtual bank and 10 card draws. Your goal? Maximize your bank balance by drawing cards that either add to or subtract from your total. But beware—some cards can double your money, halve it, or even change the number of draws you have left!

This challenge is perfect for Python beginners and enthusiasts who want to practice their programming skills while having fun. Let’s dive into the rules, the logic, and how you can build this game yourself.

Game Rules

Game Objective
Start with $10 and 10 draws. Draw cards to increase your bank balance. The game ends when you run out of draws, and your final balance is displayed.

Card Types and Effects

Green Cards: Increase your bank balance by the amount on the card (e.g., +3$).

Blue Cards: Decrease your bank balance by the amount on the card (e.g., -4$).

Black Cards:

• x2: Double your current bank balance.
• /2: Halve your current bank balance.
• +2: Gain 2 extra draws.
• -2: Lose 2 draws.

How to Build the Game in Python

Step 1: Set Up the Deck
Create a deck of cards with the following distribution:

Green Cards: 4 cards (+1$, +3$, +5$, +7$)
Blue Cards: 4 cards (-2$, -4$, -6$, -8$)
Black Cards: 4 cards (x2, /2, +2, -2)

You can use a list to represent the deck and shuffle it at the start of the game.

Step 2: Initialise the Game

Start with a bank balance of $10.
Start with 10 draws.

Step 3: Game Loop

Draw a Card: Randomly select a card from the deck.
Apply the Effect:
If it’s a green card, add the amount to the bank.
If it’s a blue card, subtract the amount from the bank.
If it’s a black card, apply the special effect (double, halve, or change the number of draws).

Update Draws: Decrease the number of draws by 1 (unless a +2 or -2 card is drawn).
Repeat until no draws are left.

Step 4: Display the Result
Once all draws are used, display the final bank balance.

Python Code

Complete the code for this Uno-Bank game using our online Python IDE:

Extension Task: 2-Player Mode!

Ready to take Uno Bank to the next level? In this two-player extension, you and a friend will compete to maximise your bank balances by drawing cards from a shared deck. The rules remain similar, but now, you will take turns drawing cards, and a new set of yellow cards introduces exciting (and sometimes brutal) interactions between players!

New Rules for Two-Player Mode

Objective
Both players start with $10 and 10 draws. Players take turns drawing one card at a time. The game ends when one of the players have used all their draws. The player with the highest bank balance wins!

New Cards
The game uses the same cards as before plus an extra 4 yellow cards:

• Swap Card: Both players swap their bank balances.
• Forward Card: Give all your money to the other player.
• Backward Card: Take all the money from the other player.
• Bomb Card: Your bank balance resets to $0.

Solution...

The solution for this challenge is available to full members!
Find out how to become a member:
➤ Members' Area