User input for a recursive function

[SpartanIE]

I'm trying to design a function that accepts a list of numbers as an argument. I can get the program working when i put a list into the programme but I can't figure out how to allow a user to enter a series. What i've got so far is below. Any help would be appreciated.

def main():

    list= [2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 6, 10, 9, 6, 7 ]   

    my_sum = sum(list)

    # Display the sum
    print "The sum of numbers in the list is", my_sum

def sum(list):
    if list == []:
        return 0
     else:
        return list [0] + sum (list[1:])


main()

[pyTony]

Your sum is correct, just do not use sum as function name. You just need to make user input function, look code snippets section for examples.

[bumsfeld]

Avoid using names like list and sum since they are internal to Python. Something like this will work:

mylist = []
prompt = "%d) enter an integer (-99 to stop): "
for k in range(1000):
    x = int(raw_input(prompt % (k+1)))
    if x == -99:
        break
    mylist.append(x)

print(mylist)  # test

'''
1) enter an integer (-99 to stop): 4
2) enter an integer (-99 to stop): 66
3) enter an integer (-99 to stop): 7
4) enter an integer (-99 to stop): 12
5) enter an integer (-99 to stop): -99
[4, 66, 7, 12]

'''

[bumsfeld]

Sorry, the code areas are still rather goofy in the 'new improved' DaniWeb

[pyTony]

For fun here is recursive function producing sum of numbers without remembering the numbers:

def my_sum():
    n = raw_input('Next number or empty to finish: ')
    return (float(n) + my_sum()) if n else 0

s = my_sum()
print "The sum of numbers is", s

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