🔒 Why is this loop not exiting when it gets the correct value to exit?

[low haven]

Hi. Here is my code. This loop is supposed to exit out when it gets the correct input from the user, but it keeps on getting an infinite loop even with the correct input.

print("Enter a direction. W is up S is down A is left and D is right.")
direction_input = input().upper()
while(direction_input != 'W' or direction_input != 'A' or direction_input != 'S' or direction_input != 'D'):
    print("Enter a direction. W is up S is down A is left and R is right.")
    direction_input = input().upper()

Any help would be appreciated.

[rugged yarrow]

@low haven

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[merry pecan]

you are chaining or you should be using and

another more readable way to do this is direction_input not in [*'WASD']

[oak iris]

direction_input != 'W' or direction_input != 'A' or direction_input != 'S' or direction_input != 'D'
think about this condition. will it ever become false?

try carefully evaluating it for any given value of direction_input

[oak iris]

(you don't need to unpack it and make a list, you can just do not in 'WASD')

[merry pecan]

that will allow other inputs

'WA' 'WAS' 'SD' etc

[oak iris]

ah

[low haven]

ive never heard of the latter syntax before

how does it work

[merry pecan]

* is often called the splat operator, it will unpack iterables into separate arguments

so [*'cat] gets unpacked into ['c','a','t']

in will check membership 'a' in ['c','a','t'] is True

not in just flips the result of that 'a' not in ['c','a','t'] is False

[potent skiff]

But whatever input we give the control is entering into the while condition and going to second print statement, why is that

[oak iris]

think about the condition. evaluate it for any given value of direction_input.
will it ever be false?

[potent skiff]

while(direction_input != 'W' or direction_input != 'A' or direction_input != 'S' or direction_input != 'D'```

In the above if one of the conditions is True the control should go to next line is it?

and if user gives input as 'Y' it will become True right

[oak iris]

that's how a while loop works, yeah. it keeps the loop going as long as its condition statement is True.

[merry pecan]

if the user inputs anything it will be True

that's the problem with the condition

[potent skiff]

So it has become never ending loop because of incorrect operator here. Understood!

[rugged yarrow]

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