Learning Objectives

This set of challenges focuses on the use of lists in Python. You will learn how to:

• Initialise a list
• Add and remove values to a list
• Find out the length (number of items) of a list
• Access specific items based on their position in the list
• Shuffle the content of a list

Before completing this challenge you may want to read more about how Python lists work.

Challenge #1: Random Name Picker

This first challenge is done for you and gives you example of how list can be used to create a random name picker.
The challenge consists of randomly picking up 3 names from a list of pupils’ names and to make sure the same pupil cannot be picked up twice.

Challenge #2: Secret Santa

The second challenge consists of organising a Secret Santa list from a list of pupils. The program should output a list where all pupils is given the name of another pupil for who they need to get a present. For instance the output of the program may look like this:

Laura will get a present for Tobby.
Ryan will get a present for Laura.
Tobby will get a present for Ryan.

With this challenge you will need to make sure that every pupil does receive a present and that a pupil does not end up having to give themselves a present.

Did You Know?

Rock-paper-scissors is a hand game usually played by two people, where players simultaneously form one of three shapes with an outstretched hand. The “rock” beats scissors, the “scissors” beat paper and the “paper” beats rock; if both players throw the same shape, the game is tied.

Learning Objectives

By completing this challenge you will improve your programming skills using:

• Selection: Using if, elif and else statements.
• Iteration: Using either a for loop or a while loop.

The Game

Check the code below, it enables a player to play against the computer:

Challenge #1

Tweak the code below to allow the players to play 5 games. Keep a score and at the end of the 5 games display the final score and display who between the player and the computer is the overall winner.

Challenge #2

Adapt your code further to play using the best-of-5 playoff: a competition between two players (user and computer) head-to-head which must win three games to win the series. Three is chosen as it would constitute a majority of games played; if one team has won three games before all five games have been played, the games that remain are omitted.

Challenge #3

Adapt your code further to play using the best-of-5 playoff (as above) but where a lead of a minimum of two clear points is required to win the game. For instance you cannot win with a score of 3-2 but you can win with a score of 4-2. (Best of 5 with a 2-clear-point lead).

Learning objectives

In this challenge we will use string manipulation techniques to manipulate text data.
In Python a String is a piece of text. It can contain letters, numbers and punctuation signs.

Hello my name is Bond, James Bond

Look at the following code which highlights some key string manipulation techniques:

Using the code above can you tell how to use Python to:

• Prompt the user to enter their firstname?
• Concatenate two strings together to create a longer string?
• Retrieve the first character of a string?
• Convert a string to uppercase?
• Calculate the length (number of characters) of a string?
• Convert a number into a string?

Challenge:

Write a program that asks the end-user to enter the following information:

• Firstname
• Lastname
• Year Group

The program should then generate the end-user’s username using the following rules:

• 2-digit year group + first letter of firstname + lastname
• The username should be all lowercase
• If the year group is in 1 digit only (e.g.: 7) then add a “0” in front to make it two digits e.g. “07”

Test your program with the following data:

Firstname	Lastname	Year Group	Expected Output	Actual Output
John	Lennon	7	07jlennon
Paul	McCartney	11	11pmccartney
George	Harrison	8	08gharrison
Ringo	Starr	9	09rstarr