how to write in multiple arguments to a txt file (strings and variables)

Question

I am trying to create a program that takes the start times and end times of word phrases, subtracts them to find the time length, and writes the length of each phrase into a file. i would like the final result to be "The length of phrase #(NumTrials) is: (length)" with length and numtrials being variables. I have tried a couple different approaches, but python is telling me that it is expecting only 1 argument for the write function. how could i modify this so that each phrase has it's length documented on a new line each time?

from decimal import Decimal, getcontext
getcontext().prec = 4
def main():
    myfile = open('Phrases Compiled.txt', 'w')
    NumTrials = 0
    SumLength = 0
    StoreLengths = dict()
    response = input("are there more calculations you'd like to do?")
    while response != "no":
        if response in ['yes', 'y', 'Yes', 'Y']:
        start, stop = eval(input("what is the start and stop times of the phrase?"))
        start = Decimal(start)
        stop = Decimal(stop)
        length = stop - start
        StoreLengths[NumTrials] = length
        NumTrials += 1
        SumLength += length
        print(length)
        length = str(length)
        NumTrials = str(NumTrials)
        myfile.write("the length of phrase #", NumTrials, "is: ",length"\n")
        response = input("are there more calculations you'd like to do?")
    elif response in ['no', 'n', 'N', 'No']:
        print("calculations are done")
        break 
averagelength = SumLength/NumTrials
print("average length was:", averagelength)

main()

question has been resolved, thank you to all those who responded — MSherwood
– MSherwood, Commented Jun 26, 2017 at 18:53

WKnight02 · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-26 17:49:10Z

3

You are doing concatenation wrong...

myfile.write("the length of phrase #", NumTrials, "is: ",length"\n")

Should be

myfile.write("the length of phrase #" + str(NumTrials) + "is: " + str(length) + "\n")
# But even with "+" I guess it would be wrong to add strings and decimal objects together... Hence the "str(...)" but it is kinda bad.

So the best option:

myfile.write("the length of phrase #%d is: %f\n" % (NumTrials, length))

Edit: I guess you also misindented your code after the if response in ['yes', ...] because Python should not allow that formating.

edited Jun 26, 2017 at 17:49

answered Jun 26, 2017 at 17:42

WKnight02

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Comments

user3672215 · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-26 17:45:23Z

1

Personally when formatting strings i like to use string.format()

myfile.write("the length of phrase #", NumTrials, "is: ",length"\n")

Would become

myfile.write("the length of phrase {} is: {}\n".format(NumTrials, length))

answered Jun 26, 2017 at 17:45

user3672215

Comments

isak · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-26 17:44:37Z

I think you forgot to concatenate the string correctly. This should solve the problem:

from decimal import Decimal, getcontext
getcontext().prec = 4
def main():
    myfile = open('Phrases Compiled.txt', 'w')
    NumTrials = 0
    SumLength = 0
    StoreLengths = dict()
    response = input("are there more calculations you'd like to do?")
    while response != "no":
        if response in ['yes', 'y', 'Yes', 'Y']:
        start, stop = eval(input("what is the start and stop times of the phrase?"))
        start = Decimal(start)
        stop = Decimal(stop)
        length = stop - start
        StoreLengths[NumTrials] = length
        NumTrials += 1
        SumLength += length
        print(length)
        length = str(length)
        NumTrials = str(NumTrials)
        myfile.write("the length of phrase #", NumTrials, "is: ", length + "\n") # Note that it's length + "\n"
        response = input("are there more calculations you'd like to do?")
    elif response in ['no', 'n', 'N', 'No']:
        print("calculations are done")
        break 
averagelength = SumLength/NumTrials

print("average length was:", averagelength)

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