HELP PLEASE, so lost.

[henryford]

Hey guys and gals I am really struggling with this program. I have been working on it for about a week now and every time I think I am getting somewhere it seems like it flops and I get frustrated and start over. I would appreciate it if anyone could help me out. I think I need to start with some function but not really sure. We learned about functions last week and I just don't get it. So again any help would be greatly appreciated.

Create a Python program that meets the following requirements:

• Ask the user to enter payroll information for the company. Set up a loop that continues to ask for information until they enter “DONE”. For each employee ask three questions:
name (first & last)
hours worked this week (only allow 1 through 60)
hourly wage (only allow 6.00 through 20.00)
VALIDATE the hours worked and the hourly wage, and make sure a name is entered.

• Calculate each employee’s pay, and write it out to a sequential file. Be sure to include file I/O error handling logic.
Include only the weekly pay
Weekly pay is calculated:
For (1-40 hours) it is hourly rate * hours worked
For (41-60 hours) it is (hours worked – 40) * (hourly rate * 1.5)
+ hourly rate * 40

• After all the employees are entered, read in the sequential file into a list named PAY for the weekly pay of each employee. Sort the list. Now print the lowest, highest, and average weekly pay for the week.

[cghtkh]

Please post your code.

[henryford]

That is the problem I keep erasing and am frustrated at where to start

[henryford]

this is one version of what I have. but I can't get it to do what the instructions ask.. I have only been doing PYTHON for about 8 weeks and not very familiar with it so please explain so I can understand.

def Lowest(hoursList):
    PAYList.sort()
    lowestPay = hoursList[0]
    return lowestPay

def Highest(hoursList):
    hoursList.sort()
    highestPay=hoursList[len(hoursList)-1]
    return highestPay

def Average(hoursList):
    total=0
    for hour in hoursList:
        total += hour
    avgPay = total / len(hoursList)
    return avgPay


hours=[]
hWork=1
while True:
    employee=raw_input("\nPlease enter the employees' first and last name. ")
    hWork=int(raw_input("How many hours did they work this week? "))
    if hWork < 1 or hWork > 60:
        print "Employees' can't work less than 1 hour or more than 60 hours!"
        continue
    else:
        pRate=int(raw_input("What is their hourly rate? "))
        if pRate < 6 or pRate > 20:
            print "Employees' wages can't be lower than $6.00 or greater than $20.00!"
        else:
            hours.append(hWork)
            empDone = ""
            empDone = raw_input("Type DONE when finished with employees' information. ")
            if empDone == "DONE":
                try:
                    hoursFile=open("PAY.txt", "w")
                    hoursFile.writelines(hours)
                    hoursFile.close()
                except(IOError):
                    print "Error writing hours! "
                    quit()
                    
                try:
                    hoursFile=open("PAY.txt", "r")
                    hoursList=hoursFile.readlines()
                    hoursFile.close()
                    hoursList.sort()
                except(IOError):
                    print "Error writing names! "
                    quit()
                    
                modHours = hoursList
                for hour in hoursList:
                    print hour

[cghtkh]

You need to change the integer back to string in order to write lines.
In line 38, change

hoursFile.writelines(hours)

to

hoursFile.writelines(map(str, hours))

After line 55, add a "break".

for hour in hoursList:
                    print hour
                break

[henryford]

How do i get it so when a user types in DONE on line 34 to convert different inputs to UPPERCASE.

[cghtkh]

Change
if empDone == "DONE":
To
if empDone.upper() == "DONE":

[henryford]

Am I calculating the weekly pay part right. I am so sorry for all the questions

[henryford]

also how do i get all this to write out in sequential order

[cghtkh]

Am I calculating the weekly pay part right. I am so sorry for all the questions

I don't think you have post the part of the code on the weekly pay.

[henryford]

This is my updated code. Not sure if I got the weekly pay portion in the right spot.

def Lowest(hoursList):
    PAYList.sort()
    lowestPay = hoursList[0]
    return lowestPay

def Highest(hoursList):
    hoursList.sort()
    highestPay=hoursList[len(hoursList)-1]
    return highestPay

def Average(hoursList):
    total=0
    for hour in hoursList:
        total += hour
    avgPay = total / len(hoursList)
    return avgPay

employees=[]
hours=[]
rate=[]
PAY=[]
hWork=1
while True:
    employee=raw_input("\nPlease enter the employees' first and last name. ")
    employees.append(employee)
    hWork=int(raw_input("How many hours did they work this week? "))
    hours.append(hWork)
    if hWork < 1 or hWork > 60:
        print "Employees' can't work less than 1 hour or more than 60 hours!"
        continue
    else:
        pRate=int(raw_input("What is their hourly rate? "))
        rate.append(pRate)
        if pRate < 6 or pRate > 20:
            print "Employees' wages can't be lower than $6.00 or greater than $20.00!"
    if hWork <=40:
        gPay=hWork*pRate
    else:
        gPay=(hWorked-40)*(pRate*1.5)+pRate*40

        else:
            hours.append(hWork\n)
            empDone = ""
            empDone = raw_input("Type DONE when finished with employees' information. ")
            if empDone.upper() == "DONE":
                try:
                    hoursFile=open("PAYLIST.txt", "w")
                    hoursFile.writelines(map(str,hours))
                    hoursFile.close()
                except(IOError):
                    print "Error writing hours! "
                    quit()
                    
                try:
                    hoursFile=open("PAYLIST.txt", "r")
                    hoursList=hoursFile.readlines()
                    hoursFile.close()
                    hoursList.sort()
                except(IOError):
                    print "Error writing names! "
                    quit()
                    
                modHours = hoursList
                for hour in hoursList:
                    print hour
                break

[henryford]

This is my update code. not sure if my weekly pay part is in the right spot, or if I even entered it in the right way.

def Lowest(hoursList):
    PAYList.sort()
    lowestPay = hoursList[0]
    return lowestPay

def Highest(hoursList):
    hoursList.sort()
    highestPay=hoursList[len(hoursList)-1]
    return highestPay

def Average(hoursList):
    total=0
    for hour in hoursList:
        total += hour
    avgPay = total / len(hoursList)
    return avgPay

employees=[]
hours=[]
rate=[]
PAY=[]
hWork=1
while True:
    employee=raw_input("\nPlease enter the employees' first and last name. ")
    employees.append(employee)
    hWork=int(raw_input("How many hours did they work this week? "))
    hours.append(hWork)
    if hWork < 1 or hWork > 60:
        print "Employees' can't work less than 1 hour or more than 60 hours!"
        continue
    else:
        pRate=int(raw_input("What is their hourly rate? "))
        rate.append(pRate)
        if pRate < 6 or pRate > 20:
            print "Employees' wages can't be lower than $6.00 or greater than $20.00!"
        if hWork <=40:
            gPay=hWork*pRate
        else:
            gPay=(hWorked-40)*(pRate*1.5)+pRate*40
  
        else:
            hours.append(hWork\n)
            empDone = ""
            empDone = raw_input("Type DONE when finished with employees' information. ")
            if empDone.upper() == "DONE":
                try:
                    hoursFile=open("PAYLIST.txt", "w")
                    hoursFile.writelines(map(str,hours))
                    hoursFile.close()
                except(IOError):
                    print "Error writing hours! "
                    quit()
                    
                try:
                    hoursFile=open("PAYLIST.txt", "r")
                    hoursList=hoursFile.readlines()
                    hoursFile.close()
                    hoursList.sort()
                except(IOError):
                    print "Error writing names! "
                    quit()
                    
                modHours = hoursList
                for hour in hoursList:
                    print hour
                break

[cghtkh]

You need to move 36-39 to be in the same indentation level as the previous lines.
Also, I think you did not read the questions correctly, you should write the gPay
you computed to PAY.txt rather than the hours worked.

[henryford]

I am getting an error on line 41. Also what about the gPay and PAY.txt can you show me
please

[griswolf]

@henryford you are getting desperate, which always makes bad code. Please take a minute to breathe, get a drink of water or caffienated, not booze :) and walk around the room. I'll wait.

OK. The right way to do this is to break off a piece and do just the piece. Get it right. Now add a piece, etc.

I suggest you start by asking for the user name until you see 'DONE', then write it to a file. Check that the file is correct. Probably you have a list of names, right?

Now, add the question about hours. Verify the hours before you put them into your data structure. If you are using a list, you have trouble: Parallel lists are so... FORTRAN... when you can use a map/dictionary: users = {}...users[name]=hours... for k,v in users.items():... Make sure you can write it out

Now add the wage. users[name] = [hours,wage]... .

Now do the rest of the work. At every step, you have something and it works (albeit not fully). This is worth a lot...

[edit] Oh. And if you aren't using some form of source control, then you need to put that on your 'do very soon' list: Source control allows you to fiddle around without fear of losing something. Consider mercurial (hg) or svn or ... anything.