HatTrick Topic Picker Script

[kak9699]

I got frustrated with trying to get the spreadsheet that auto-picks all the topics for SN2ed's HatTrick Days to work. So, I borrowed my friend's python coding book and wrote my own basic script that does something similar.

I don't know if it works on Windows or Mac, so I'd appreciate people running a test for me. I've only taken one CS class in college, so the coding isn't the best, but it does work. For now, it only has the Biological Sciences list loaded. I will have to add the Physical Sciences section later.

The script, for now, will randomly generate numbers that correlate with the topics in a list and print out your three topics to study. It would look something like this:

Topic 1:
General Topic
Sub Topic
Specific Topic to Study <-- This is your assigned topic #1

Topic 2:
etc...

Let me know what you think so far. I'll be working with your feedback to make this better. Ultimately, I hope to have a GUI for the script. I've attached the script to this post. Please review and reply. Thanks a lot!

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[TXKnight]

Let me know what you think so far. I'll be working with your feedback to make this better. Ultimately, I hope to have a GUI for the script. I've attached the script to this post. Please review and reply. Thanks a lot![/QUOTE]


Hi Kak, so...i downloaded phyton on a win 7 platform and opened your zip...it works perfectly fine i think you did a great job! Thank you! Now, one more thing so, as i understand the hat trick-- one has to choose 3 topics from ANY subject right? or is it only one subject? That is, you can end up with phys/chem/bio right? that way one can come up with a really crazy situation like...dunno...circuits/hormones/magnetism? Am I understanding this correctly?. Anyway your program works perfectly fine for windows.

 

[kak9699]

Hi Kak, so...i downloaded phyton on a win 7 platform and opened your zip...it works perfectly fine i think you did a great job! Thank you! Now, one more thing so, as i understand the hat trick-- one has to choose 3 topics from ANY subject right? or is it only one subject? That is, you can end up with phys/chem/bio right? that way one can come up with a really crazy situation like...dunno...circuits/hormones/magnetism? Am I understanding this correctly?. Anyway your program works perfectly fine for windows.

Hey TKKnight, thank you for being my first tester. I'm glad it worked for you and you found it useful! I wasn't sure about the specifics of the hattrick so I looked it up real quick.

You pick 2-3 topics from either section of the MCAT. Physical Sciences will pull topics from either General Chemistry or Physics. Biological Sciences will pull topics from either Organic Chemistry or Biology. Only one section per session, so no crazy physics/bio combinations. haha.

I've gone ahead and made some changes to the code to allow the user to choose how many topics they want generated. I have also added SN2ed's instructions and examples from his stickied post into the program as well to help anyone who doesn't know about the HatTrick technique. New version attached in the original post!

 

[kak9699]

Here's the final script! All of the topics are entered in from both BS and PS. It is attached to the original post in a zip file for download. The first prompt will let you choose the topic set you'd like to test(or see SN2ed's instructions). The second prompt gives you the option of choosing the number of topics you'd like to generate(1,2,3,4...). Hope you find it useful!

The GUI will come eventually, and I'd like to get it to be Java based for cross-platform compatibility. For now though, it works fine! Cheers!

 

[TXKnight]

Here's the final script! All of the topics are entered in from both BS and PS. It is attached to the original post in a zip file for download. The first prompt will let you choose the topic set you'd like to test(or see SN2ed's instructions). The second prompt gives you the option of choosing the number of topics you'd like to generate(1,2,3,4...). Hope you find it useful!

The GUI will come eventually, and I'd like to get it to be Java based for cross-platform compatibility. For now though, it works fine! Cheers!

Awesome...thanx again man!

 

[thomasfx10]

Anybody get this to work on a Mac? When I click on it, it opens in notepad.

Thanks

 

[kak9699]

Anybody get this to work on a Mac? When I click on it, it opens in notepad.

Thanks

It's probably because you don't have python on your Mac. It's standard on most PCs and almost all Linux flavors I think. You can get a copy of Python from their website here. You'll want the stable 2.7.1 version since the newest 3.1.3 version is still a little buggy.

Once installed, try typing the following in your terminal:
python /path_to_the_extracted_file/HatTrick.py

or

use the cd command and change the directory first and type:
python HatTrick.py

Hope this helps! Let me know if you're still having trouble. This script was a great tool that saved me tons of time doing the hat-trick every day. Cheers!

 

[ModernAlchemist]

It's probably because you don't have python on your Mac. It's standard on most PCs and almost all Linux flavors I think. You can get a copy of Python from their website here. You'll want the stable 2.7.1 version since the newest 3.1.3 version is still a little buggy.

Once installed, try typing the following in your terminal:
python /path_to_the_extracted_file/HatTrick.py

or

use the cd command and change the directory first and type:
python HatTrick.py

Hope this helps! Let me know if you're still having trouble. This script was a great tool that saved me tons of time doing the hat-trick every day. Cheers!

Never taken a CS class in my life and have NO idea what to do. It pops up with a screen with code and "instructions" that I can't figure out. Then there is another screen that pops up that is apparently the python program (Python Shell) that apparently wants me to enter a line of code and just has ">>>". Thank you for making this program, but I have no idea how to use it.

PS: I'm on a mac and I downloaded python to use this.

 

[kak9699]

Never taken a CS class in my life and have NO idea what to do. It pops up with a screen with code and "instructions" that I can't figure out. Then there is another screen that pops up that is apparently the python program (Python Shell) that apparently wants me to enter a line of code and just has ">>>". Thank you for making this program, but I have no idea how to use it.

PS: I'm on a mac and I downloaded python to use this.

The screen with the instructions is the output of the program. The screen with the >>> is where you can give instructions to the program. If you type in 2 at the prompt (ex. >>>2) and hit enter/return the program will process your input and then the output screen print new directions asking you for how many topics you want to generate. You then enter the number of how many you want and hit enter/return. Then the program will automatically print out X number of topics to the output screen. Hope this helps! Let me know if you still need help!

Note: The first number you are asked for is to tell the program which list to pick topics from. Enter 2 for BS topics and 3 for PS topics. Entering 1 will print instructions from SN2ed about how do Hat Tricks(not really needed, but it's there for completeness).

 

[ModernAlchemist]

Never taken a CS class in my life and have NO idea what to do. It pops up with a screen with code and "instructions" that I can't figure out. Then there is another screen that pops up that is apparently the python program (Python Shell) that apparently wants me to enter a line of code and just has ">>>". Thank you for making this program, but I have no idea how to use it.

PS: I'm on a mac and I downloaded python to use this.

Nevermind. I figured it out. Thank you for an hour of bonding time with my Mom who is a computer programmer.

Just read your further instructions. Thank you!

 

[kak9699]

Nevermind. I figured it out. Thank you for an hour of bonding time with my Mom who is a computer programmer.

Just read your further instructions. Thank you!

Glad to help! Let me know how it works for you.

Also, I'll make a Readme file to go with the program this weekend. That should have been in there from the start. *facepalm*