What’s Wrong With My Python Code?

This step by step approach shows how debugging can help you improve your coding skills.

Here is your original code with the error:

codeprint("Welcome to the tip calculator!")
bill = float(input("What was the total bill? $"))
tip = int(input("How much tip would you like to give? 10, 12, or 15? "))
people = int((input("How many people to split the bill? "))  # Error here due to extra parenthesis
bill_with_tip = tip / 100 * bill + bill
print(bill_with_tip)
bill_per_person = bill_with_tip / people
final_amount = round(bill_per_person, 2)
final_amount = "{:.2f}".format(bill_per_person)
print(f"Each person should pay: {final_amount}")

Understanding the Error in Your Python Code

When working on small projects like a tip calculator in Python, it’s easy to make mistakes. These minor errors can cause your program to stop running or give unexpected results. Let’s review a common coding error and how to fix it.

The Problem: Syntax Error

The original code is almost correct but contains a syntax error on line 5:

codepeople = int((input("How many people to split the bill? "))  # Error due to extra parenthesis

The issue arises because there is an extra opening parenthesis after int(. This causes Python to expect a closing parenthesis, but it doesn’t find one, leading to a syntax error.

The Fix

To resolve this issue, simply remove the extra parenthesis:

codepeople = int(input("How many people to split the bill? "))  # Corrected line

The Correct Code:

After making this correction, the complete code should look like this:

codeprint("Welcome to the tip calculator!")
bill = float(input("What was the total bill? $"))
tip = int(input("How much tip would you like to give? 10, 12, or 15? "))
people = int(input("How many people to split the bill? "))  # Fixed extra parenthesis
bill_with_tip = tip / 100 * bill + bill
print(bill_with_tip)
bill_per_person = bill_with_tip / people
final_amount = round(bill_per_person, 2)
final_amount = "{:.2f}".format(bill_per_person)
print(f"Each person should pay: {final_amount}")

Explanation of the Code

1. Input Gathering: The program collects information from the user:
   • The total bill amount.
   • The tip percentage.
   • The number of people to split the bill.
2. Tip Calculation: The tip is calculated as a percentage of the bill and added to the original total: codebill_with_tip = tip / 100 * bill + bill
3. Splitting the Bill: The total bill (including the tip) is then divided among the number of people: codebill_per_person = bill_with_tip / people
4. Formatting the Output: The amount each person should pay is rounded to two decimal places and printed in a nicely formatted way: codefinal_amount = "{:.2f}".format(bill_per_person) print(f"Each person should pay: {final_amount}")

Final Explanation

Errors like this are common, but they are easy to fix once identified. Always ensure that you have the correct number of opening and closing parentheses in your code. This small fix ensures that your tip calculator runs smoothly and provides the correct output.