# Dictionary help!

**URL:** <https://discuss.python.org/t/dictionary-help/52083>\
**Category:** Python Help\
**Created:** [April 28, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/dictionary-help/52083 "2024-04-28T03:48:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TheReallyNerdyFox](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discuss.python.org/thereallynerdyfox/32/19515_2.png) [@TheReallyNerdyFox](https://discuss.python.org/u/TheReallyNerdyFox)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/dictionary-help/52083/1 "2024-04-28T03:48:24Z")

</div>

I am making a text based civlization sim and I ran into trouble. I was trying to pass the for loop for a set amt of time using a variable. however, it thought my variable was apart of my dictionary, and got confused:

```python
import random as rd

generations = input("How many generations: ")
int(generations)

humanity = {
  "men": 1,
  "women": 1,
  "children": 2
}

for generations in humanity:
    if humanity["women"] > 0 and humanity["men"] > 0: 
        humanity["children"] = humanity["children"] + rd.randint(0, 2)
    men_adulting = humanity["children"] * rd.randint(0, 1)
    humanity["men"] = humanity["men"] + men_adulting
    humanity["children"] = humanity["children"] - men_adulting

print(humanity)

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TheReallyNerdyFox](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discuss.python.org/thereallynerdyfox/32/19515_2.png) [@TheReallyNerdyFox](https://discuss.python.org/u/TheReallyNerdyFox)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/dictionary-help/52083/2 "2024-04-28T03:48:59Z")

</div>

Please don’t steal this by the way!!

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**Author:** ![kknechtel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47c2d/32.png) [@kknechtel](https://discuss.python.org/u/kknechtel)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2024, 4:42am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/dictionary-help/52083/3 "2024-04-28T04:42:00Z")

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> [@TheReallyNerdyFox](#):
>
> ```python
> int(generations)
> 
> ```

This means: create a new integer from the `generations` string, and then throw it away.

> [@TheReallyNerdyFox](#):
>
> ```python
> for generations in humanity:
> 
> ```

This means: each time through the loop, set `generations` to be one of the keys in the `humanity` dict. The previous value of `generations` (the string from the previous `input`, since the `int` result was thrown away) is overwritten.

So it will loop three times, because there are three key-value pairs in `humanity` (and this doesn’t change as the loop runs).

You want:

```python
generations = int(generations)

```

and then

```python
for _ in range(generations):

```

It doesn’t matter what “counter” variable name (between `for` and `in`) you use here (as long as it doesn’t replace something else you need). Calling it `_` is a common way to signal that we don’t care about it and won’t use it (although we can). A `for` loop works by giving you each value from a collection, in turn. If you want to do something a specific number of times, generally we just make up a separate collection to use, and ignore what it actually contains. The built-in `range` is the easiest and most idiomatic way to do that.

Corresponding Stack Overflow Q&A:

> <https://stackoverflow.com/questions/20449427/how-can-i-read-inputs-as-numbers>

> <https://stackoverflow.com/questions/818828/is-it-possible-to-make-a-for-loop-without-an-iterator-variable-how-can-i-mak>

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![c-rob](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discuss.python.org/c-rob/32/17261_2.png) [@c-rob](https://discuss.python.org/u/c-rob)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 9:08am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/dictionary-help/52083/4 "2024-04-29T09:08:20Z")

</div>

> [@TheReallyNerdyFox](#):
>
> ```python
> generations = input("How many generations: ")
> int(generations)
> 
> ```

You probably want this:

```python
# Input() always returns a string. So change it to an int.
generations = int(input("How many generations: "))

```

Your game will probably expand in complexity where each man, woman and child will have many attributes. Have you looked into using classes? Each man and woman could have these attributes:

- health
- age
- isworking (boolean). If this is false then they are idle.
- ctrclass: are they a worker, fighter, blacksmith, etc.
- movespeed: how fast they move.

There are good, free tutorials on Youtube for all kinds of Python things. I like the Indently guy.