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how to use selection Craig’n’Dave
Craig’n’Dave

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Sample program:

# Selection commands

# Subroutine to return eligibility to drive

def CheckAge(Age):
if Age > 17:
print("You are old enough to learn to drive a car.")
else:
print("You are not old enough to learn to drive a car.")

# Main program
CheckAge(14)

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INVESTIGATE This program outputs you are old enough to drive a car if Age is
greater than or equal to 17.

Understand how the code works:

# Selection commands • CheckAge is a subroutine. Because it doesn’t return any values it is also known as a procedure.
• Age is a parameter holding the number 14 that was passed into the CheckAge subroutine.
# Subroutine to return eligibility
• Age to
is a drive
whole number, known as an integer.
def CheckAge(Age):
if Age > 17:
print("You are old enough to learn • The
to decision
drive about the next section of code to execute is determined by the “if” selection command.
a car.")
else: • The logical check if Age is greater or equal to 17 performed by the ALU is known as a condition.
• Note there is no
print("You are not old enough to learn to drive a car.")≥ symbol in programming. That’s maths! Use >= instead.

# Main program
CheckAge(14) • Tabs are used to indicate which sections of code to execute.
• Code in the “else” section is only executed if Age was less than 17.

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Sample program:
# Selection commands

# Subroutine to validate month

def ValidMonth(Month):
if Month > 0 and Month < 13:
print("Valid month")
else:
print("Invalid month")

# Main program
ValidMonth(9)

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INVESTIGATE This program determines whether a month number is valid.

Understand how the code works:

# Selection commands

# Subroutine to validate month

2. If Month is greater than zero AND Month is less than 13...
def ValidMonth(Month):
if Month > 0 and Month < 13:
print("Valid month")
3. …then this line of code inside the tabulated indent is executed.
else:
print("Invalid month")

# Main program 4. …otherwise this line of code inside the tabulated indent is executed instead.
ValidMonth(9)

START
HERE
1. The program starts here by running the subroutine called ValidMonth, passing the number 9.

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Sample program:
# Selection commands

# Subroutine to output Key Stage

def YearGroup(Year):
if Year >= 7 and Year <10:
print("Key Stage 3")
elif Year >=10 and Year <12:
print("Key Stage 4")

# Main program
YearGroup(10)

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Craig’n’Dave

INVESTIGATE This program outputs the Key Stage a student is in.

Understand how the code works:

# Selection commands

# Subroutine to output Key Stage

def YearGroup(Year):
if Year >= 7 and Year <10:
print("Key Stage 3") • It is possible to combine multiple if statements using elif.
elif Year >=10 and Year <12:
print("Key Stage 4")

# Main program
YearGroup(10)

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INVESTIGATE
Learning points from this objective:
• Checking the value of a variable and executing instructions depending on the outcome of the check is known as a selection.
• The instructions that are executed as a result of a selection is known as a program branch.
• The logical checking of a variable against another value is known as a condition.
• A Boolean variable used in condition is also known as a flag.
• Conditions can be enclosed in brackets if you want to combine multiple conditions together into a single expression.
• Code for each program branch must be indented with a tab. This also makes it easier to read where a program branch begins and ends.
• It is good practice to comment a selection to explain its purpose.
• One “if” construct can also be placed inside another “if” construct, this is known as nesting.
• The condition is either true or false. E.g. X = 6 : If X > 8 returns false.
• Logical operators are used in conditions:
• and - And
• or - Or
• not - Not
• == - Equal to
• != - Not equal to
• < - Less than
• <= - Less than or equal to
• > - Greater than
• >= - Greater than or equal to
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Program comprehension: ITEM Identify a selection statement in the program.

1. def Sample(Hz):
2. if Hz == 44100:
3. print("CD quality") Identify a condition in the program.
4. if Hz < 44100:
5. print("Low quality")
6. if Hz > 44100:
7. print("Compress")
Identify a logical operator in the program.
8.
9. Sample(48000)

STRUCTURE When Hz is 64000, which line is executed after line 2?

What must be used to indicate program statements are part of

a program branch in Python?

If Sample returned the string instead of outputting it, what

would line 3 be changed to?

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INVESTIGATE
Why is == used instead of = in line 2?
Program comprehension: REASON

1. def Sample(Hz):
2. if Hz == 44100:
3. print("CD quality") What advantage would there be to using “elif” instead of “if” in
lines 4 and 6?
4. if Hz < 44100:
5. print("Low quality")
6. if Hz > 44100:
7. print("Compress")
8.
9. Sample(48000)

What will be the affect on the output from the program if lines
RELATION 2-3 are swapped around with lines 4-5?

What would be the implication of changing line 4 to be:

if Hz <= 44100 instead?

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INVESTIGATE
Keywords introduced in this objective:
if X == "Craig" or X == "Dave“: Branches to a sequence of instructions based on the condition.
commands In this situation if X is Craig or X is Dave.

if ((Y > 6 and Y < 10) or Z !=

1):
commands Multiple conditions can be used with brackets. This means if Y is between 7 and 9 and Z is not 1…
elif Allows if statements to be nested. If the previous if / elif is false, execute this selection.

else Catches all other possibilities when the condition is false.

It is good practice to ensure all possible outcomes are handled to avoid run-time errors.

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# Driving test problem

Driving test problem: # Subroutine to output pass or fail for driving

1 point. test

Write a subroutine that outputs “pass” if a parameter called

else:
MinorFaults is less than 16, or “fail” if it is greater than 15.

return "pass"

if MinorFaults < 16:

def PassFail(MinorFaults):

# Main program

return "fail"

print(PassFail(16))

To help you get started,

here is all the code you
need with the
statements jumbled up.

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MAKE
Max problem:
1 point.
Write a function called Max that returns the highest of two number parameters. E.g. Max(50,32) would return 50.
Output the returned value.

States of water problem:

1 point.
Write a subroutine that will output “gaseous” if the parameter is greater than or equal to 100, “liquid” if the parameter is between 1 and
99 inclusive, and “solid” if the parameter is less than 1. It should allow for decimal numbers, e.g. 37.2.

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MAKE
Career quote problem:
2 points.
Write a subroutine that takes a parameter called Job. It outputs a quote as shown in the table below:

Job Quote

Engineer The engineer has been, and is, a maker of history.

Developer Logical thinking, passion and perseverance is the paint on your palette.

Analyst Seeing what other people can’t see gives you great vision.

None of the above I'm sorry. We could not find a quote for your job.

Currency converter problem:

2 points.
Find out the latest foreign exchange rates for GBP to USD, Euro, Yuan and Yen.
Write a function that takes two parameters. Pounds and name of currency. The function should convert money based on the current
values. The main program should output the result. E.g. 100 GBP = 111.15 Euro.

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MAKE Function Dose

Nitrate problem:
2 points.
Yes Is nitrate No
When keeping fish, one of the goals to
reduce algae is to keep nitrates to a above 10?
minimum. One way of doing this is to
dose a carbon source which nitrifying
bacteria within an aquarium consume Yes Is nitrate
together with nitrates. The carbon source
above 2.5?
must be dosed very precisely.
Write this function to determine and
return the dose. No
The program should output:
“For x nitrate dose y ml”
Where x is the parameter and y is the Is nitrate
returned value. Return Return Yes above 1? No
3 2

Return Return
1 0.5

End Function

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MAKE
Exam grade problem:
3 points.
Write a function that returns the grade and the number of marks to the next grade from an exam result using the data below. The main
program should output a suitable message to the student. E.g. A mark of 59 is grade 7. You needed 8 more marks for the next grade.

Mark <2 2 4 13 22 31 41 54 67 80

Grade U 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Periodic table problem:

3 points.
Find a copy of the periodic table. Write a function that takes a single parameter which could be the name of an element, the symbol or
group it belongs to. The function should output the name of the element, its atomic weight and the group it belongs to. E.g. for the
parameter “Li” the program would output:

Element: Lithium
Atomic weight: 6.94
Group: Alkali metals
You only need to use six elements from two different groups.

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Day format problem:
3 points.
Write a function called DayFormat that takes two parameters, the day as a number (e.g. Monday is 1, Tuesday is 2) and the output format
required. The function should return the day formatted as shown:

Parameter Format returned

day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

shortday Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun

char M, Tu, W, Th, F, Sa, Su

E.g. DayFormat(2, "day") would return Tuesday.

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EVALUATE
Test tables:
Problem:

Parameter 1 Parameter 2 Expected output Pass/Fail Test

Problem:

Parameter 1 Parameter 2 Expected output Pass/Fail Test

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EVALUATE
Review your solutions:
Did you: Self-assess: Yes/No

Complete all the requirements for the problems you solved?

Start your programs with a comment to describe what they do?

Use a subroutine for the main algorithm in your code?

Use a comment to describe what the subroutine does?

Use a comment after each program branch to explain the purpose of the section?

Use variable names that describe the data they hold?

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