How to break from the while loop? For Python string type

Question

# Let's create a file and write it to disk.
filename = "test.dat"
# Let's create some data:
done = 0
namelist = []
while not done:
    name = raw_input("Enter a name:")
    if type(name) == type(""):
        namelist.append(name)
    else:
        break

For the Python code above, I tried, but could not break from the while loop. It always asks me to "Enter a name:", whatever I input. How to break from the loop?

Input you receive from a user will always be string input unless you convert it. — Hunter McMillen
– Hunter McMillen, Commented Mar 18, 2012 at 15:33
To debug this, you could have added some print statements, like print name, repr(name), type(name), print type(""), print type(name) == type("") and so on, which would have shown the problem. You can seldom go wrong by strewing print statement around. — DSM
– DSM, Commented Mar 18, 2012 at 15:38

warvariuc · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-18 15:32:54Z

4

# Let's create a file and write it to disk.
filename = "test.dat"
# Let's create some data:
namelist = []
while True:
    name = raw_input("Enter a name:")
    if name:
        namelist.append(name)
    else:
        break

This breaks when entered nothing

answered Mar 18, 2012 at 15:32

warvariuc

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Comments

jena · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-18 15:34:50Z

1

This is because raw_input always returns a string, i.e., type(name) == type("") is always true. Try:

while True:
    name = raw_input("Enter a name: ")
    if not name:
        break
    ...

answered Mar 18, 2012 at 15:34

jena

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1 Comment

user866735 Over a year ago

Thank you both of youe! The code is fetched from other's webpage, so it is with bug!

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