Iterative control structures
Control structures
Control structures
Conditional Iterative
Simple alternative: if While structure
Double alternative: if/else For structure
Nested alternative: elif
Conditional structures allow some Iterative structures allow repeating a
actions to run only if certain block of actions a certain number of
conditions are met. times, or while a certain condition is
met.
Example 1
What actions should we do if we want to write natural
numbers from 1 to 10 (one on each line) on the screen?
We could do:
print(1) This program would work but it is not a good
print(2) solution....
print(3)
print(4)
.... what if we want to write the first 1000 natural
print(5)
print(6) numbers?
print(7)
print(8) We don't want to have to write 1000 lines of code!!!
print(9)
print(10) Luckily, we have the iterative instructions.
Example 1
What actions should we do if we want to write natural
numbers from 1 to 10 (one on each line) on the screen?
To use the iterative instructions we must answer
4 basic questions:
print( 1 ) • What variables do we need?
print( 2 )
print( 3 ) • How should we initialize them?
print( 4 ) • What actions should we repeat?
print( 5 )
• Update
print( 6 )
print( 7 ) • How do we know when to finish?
print( 8 )
print( 9 )
print( 10 )
Iterative structures: while
Syntax Flowchart
while (<condition>):
<actions>
Condition?
No
Yes
Actions
Example
Variable
number = 1
Initialization
while (number <= 10): Condition for repetition
print(number) Repeated actions
number+=1 Update
Example 2
What actions should we do if we want to add all the natural
numbers from 1 to 10?
NOT VALID
1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10
We are looking for a solution where the sum operation is repeated:
0
0 + 1 = 1
1 + 2 = 3
3 + 3 = 6
6 + 4 = 10
10 + 5 = 15
15 + 6 = 21
21 + 7 = 28
28 + 8 = 36
36 + 9 = 45
45 + 10 = 55
Example 2
What actions should we do if we want to add all the natural
numbers from 1 to 10?
0
• What variables do we need? 0 + 1 = 1
1 + 2 = 3
• How should we initialize them? 3 + 3 = 6
• What actions should we repeat? 6 + 4 = 10
+ 5
10+ = 15
– Update 15+
+ 6 = 21
• How do we know when to finish? + 7
21+ = 28
+ 8
28+ = 36
36+
+ 9 = 45
+
45+10 = 55
number sum_all
Example 2 (while)
sum_all = 0 1.- What variables do we need?
number = 1 2.- How should we initialize them?
3.- What actions should we repeat?
Update
4.- How do we know when to finish?
no
number <= 10
yes
sum_all = sum_all + number
print (sum_all)
number+=1
Iterative structures: while
Syntax Flowchart
while (<condition>):
<actions>
Condition?
No
Yes
Actions
Example
Variable
number = 1
Initialization
sum_all= 0
while (number <= 10): Condition for repetition
sum_all = sum_all + number
print(sum_all)
Repeated actions
number+=1 Update
Iterative structures: while
What happens if we change one of the parts of the loop?
number = 1
0
sum_all = 0
1,2,3,4, … 11 while (number < = 10): 0,1,2,3,4, … 10
sum_all = sum_all + number
10 iterations print(number, sum_all) 10 iterations
number+=1
1 1 2 2 1 1
2 3 3 5 2 3
3 6 4 9 3 6
4 10 5 14 4 10
5 15 6 20 5 15
6 21 7 27 6 21
7 28 8 35 7 28
8 36 9 44 8 36
9 45 10 54 9 45
10 55 11 65 10 55
num sum
Example 3
Modify the program in the example above to add all the
natural numbers smaller than a number n entered by the
user.
Example 3 (while)
sum_all = 0 1.- What variables do we need?
number = 1 2.- How should we initialize them?
3.- What actions should we repeat?
limit = input() Update
4.- How do we know when to finish?
no
number <= limit
number = 1
yes sum_all = 0
limit = int(input("Enter Number:"))
sum_all = sum_all + number
while (number <= limit):
sum_all = sum_all + number
number+=1 number += 1
print(sum_all)
print (sum_all)
Example 3
Modify the program in the example above to add all the
natural numbers smaller than a number n entered by the
user.
– What happens if n<0 ?
Modify the program again to ensure that n>=0.
If n<0 the program must ask for another number again, until a
positive one is entered.
How can we do it using an iterative structure?
Example 3
number = 1
sum_all = 0
limit = int(input("Enter a number to compute the sum: "))
while (limit < 0):
print("Error: The number must be higher than zero")
limit = int(input("Enter a number to compute the sum: "))
while (number <= limit):
sum_all = sum_all + number
number += 1
print("The summation of ”,limit,"is:”,sum_all)
Exercise: Multifunction calculator
Write a program that simulates a calculator for real numbers.
• We will start from the program implemented in previous lecture: It asked the
user to enter two numbers through the keyboard, showed a menu with the
available operations, and asked the user what operation wanted to do.
• 1st version: In the menu, we will add an "Exit" option.
As long as the user does not select this option, the program will allow the
user to select operations and will show the result on the screen. After that,
the program will show the menu again.
• 2nd version: Once the user has selected the option to exit, the program will
ask if he/she wants to change the operands.
Ø If the user answers "Y", the program will go back to the beginning
(ask the user to enter two numbers)
Ø If the user answers "N", the program will end.
Ø Otherwise, the program will show an error message and will repeat the
question.
Iterative structures: for
The for structure is basically used when we want to execute a set of actions a
given number of times.
Syntax Flowchart
for <variable> in range(<start>,<stop>,<step>):
<actions>
Variable
range(<start>,<stop>,<step>))
Condition?
Function that generates the sequence of numbers
starting at <start> and ending at <stop> -1 with a Yes
step <step>
Actions
No
By default, <start>= 0 and <step>= 1
Update
Example
range(11)
Generates 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
range(2,11,2)
Generates 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
Iterative structures: for
The for structure is basically used when we want to execute a set of actions a
given number of times.
Syntax Flowchart
for <variable> in range(<start>,<stop>,<step>):
<actions>
number = 0
number < 11
Example (summation)
suma_all = 0 Yes
sum_alll += number
for number in range(11): No
suma_all += number
number += 1
print(“Summation: “, sum_all)
Example 3: summation (for)
Modify the program in the example above to add all the
natural numbers smaller than a number n entered via
keyboard.
– What happens if n<0 ?
Modify the program again to ensure that n>=0.
If n<0 the program must ask for another number again, until a
positive one is entered.
How can we do it using an iterative structure?
In this case:
• Use a for structure to compute the sum.
• Use a while structure to ensure the number n is positive and
show an error message otherwise.
Example 3: summation (for)
sum_all = 0
limit = int(input("Enter a number to compute the sum: "))
while (limit < 0):
print(" Error: The number must be higher than zero ")
limit = int(input("Enter a number to compute the sum: "))
for number in range(limit+1):
sum_all = sum_all + number
print(sum_all)
Exercise: Count positives and negatives
Write a program that reads 10 numbers from the keyboard and tells us
how many positive numbers and how many negative numbers we have
entered.
Zero does not count neither as positive nor as negative.
Exercise: Statistics of marks
Write a program that calculates some statistics from a series of marks
entered by the user.
The program must ask the user how many marks he/she is going to
enter.
Then, the program must ask the user to enter the marks one by one.
After that, the program must show:
• The mean of all the marks.
• How many students got each grade (A with Honors, A, B, C, Fail).
Remember the grades:
Fail mark in the interval [0,5)
C mark in the interval [5,7)
B mark in the interval [7,9)
A mark in the interval [9,10)
A with Honors mark is 10
While vs for Loops
while for
Condition Type Any i € [start .. stop)
Nº of It depends on Known
repetitions condition: 0 or + 0 or +
Must be initialized Managed by the
Counter
and updated instruction itself
NOT always can Always can be
Equivalence be rewritten as a rewritten as a
for while
