Lecture Notes: Using For Loops in Carol

Introduction to For Loops

• Purpose: Use for loops to automate repetitive tasks in Carol, such as putting down multiple tennis balls.
• Motivation: Rather than writing repetitive code (e.g., writing putBall 100 times), use a for loop to simplify the process.

Understanding For Loops

• Definition: A for loop repeats a section of code a fixed number of times.
• Syntax Importance: Focus on the count variable, which determines the number of iterations.
• Structure:
  • for i in range(n): where n is the number of times to repeat.
  • Indent the code to be repeated within the loop.
  • Outdent to end the loop block.

Example of For Loops with Carol

• Placing Tennis Balls:
  • Example: for i in range(10): putBall() repeats putBall() 10 times.
  • Change the number in range() to adjust repetitions (e.g., 100 times).

Implementing For Loops in Code

• Moving Carol:
  • Instead of typing move repeatedly, use a loop:

    for i in range(9):
        move()
    

• Syntax Tip: Resetting and adjusting the number inside the range() allows Carol to move the desired number of times.

Another Example: Putting Down Tennis Balls

• Step-by-step:
  • Use a loop to put down a specified number of tennis balls.
  • Ensure move() is outside the loop to see the placed tennis balls:

    for i in range(10):
        putBall()
    move()  # This moves Carol off the spot after placing balls
    

• Modifying Examples: Change range(100) to place 100 tennis balls.

Conclusion

• Experimentation: Try changing loop counts and actions to understand loop functionality further.