While loop going through once more than expected [python]

October 18, 2023

I have the following code:

import random as rd

secret_number = rd.randint(1,100)
num_guesses = 5
guess = int(input("Please guess a number"))


while num_guesses > 0 and guess != secret_number:
    if guess > secret_number:
        print(f"Too high.\n You have {num_guesses - 1} guesses remaining.")
        num_guesses = num_guesses - 1
        guess = int(input("Make a guess."))
    elif guess < secret_number:
        print(f"Too low.\n You have {num_guesses - 1} guesses remaining.")
        num_guesses = num_guesses - 1
        guess = int(input("Make a guess."))
    else:
        print('You guessed correctly!')

I would expect the while loop to go through a maximum of 5 times, but it seems to be going through 6 times. Can someone please explain like I’m five why that’s happening?

>Solution :

As @quamrana suggested; you need to check num_guesses > 0 before asking using again:

import random as rd

secret_number = rd.randint(1,100)
num_guesses = 5
guess = int(input("Please guess a number"))


while num_guesses> 0 and guess != secret_number:
    if guess > secret_number:
        print(f"Too high.\n You have {num_guesses - 1} guesses remaining.")
        num_guesses = num_guesses - 1
        if num_guesses > 0:
            guess = int(input("Make a guess."))
    elif guess < secret_number:
        print(f"Too low.\n You have {num_guesses - 1} guesses remaining.")
        num_guesses = num_guesses - 1
        if num_guesses > 0:
            guess = int(input("Make a guess."))
    else:
        print('You guessed correctly!')

Edit: As suggested by @Abdul you can just keep one input after the while loop:

import random as rd

secret_number = rd.randint(1,100)
num_guesses = 5

while num_guesses> 0 and guess != secret_number:
    guess = int(input("Make a guess."))
    if guess > secret_number:
        print(f"Too high.\n You have {num_guesses - 1} guesses remaining.")
        num_guesses = num_guesses - 1
    elif guess < secret_number:
        print(f"Too low.\n You have {num_guesses - 1} guesses remaining.")
        num_guesses = num_guesses - 1
    else:
        print('You guessed correctly!')