🐍 Python Mission #8: Dictionaries – Zogg’s Smart Inventory System! 📖🛸

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📖 Story: Zogg’s Supplies Are Confusing!

Zogg has learned to store supplies in a list. But now, there’s a new problem…

🤯 “Wait! How do I know how many Oxygen Tanks I have? My list just has names!”

🛸 “Zogg, use a dictionary!” the spaceship’s AI suggests.

💡 “A dictionary? Like a book?”

Not quite, Zogg! In Python, a dictionary helps us store pairs of information—like what we have and how many! 🚀

📚 Step 1: Creating a Dictionary

A dictionary uses {} curly brackets and stores key-value pairs:

Python
supplies = {
    "Oxygen Tanks": 3,
    "Food Packs": 10,
    "Fuel Cells": 5,
    "Space Suits": 2
}
print(supplies)

📝 Keys = Names of supplies
🛠 Values = How many we have

🎉 Now, Zogg knows both what he has and how much!

🔍 Step 2: Accessing Dictionary Values

Zogg wants to check how many Fuel Cells he has. Instead of searching a list, he can look it up instantly!

Python
print(supplies["Fuel Cells"])  # Output: 5

✅ Dictionaries let us quickly find what we need!

✏️ Step 3: Updating Values in a Dictionary

Zogg just used one Oxygen Tank. Let’s update the count!

Python
supplies["Oxygen Tanks"] -= 1  # Uses 1 Oxygen Tank
print(supplies)

🛠 Dictionaries let us modify values easily!

➕ Step 4: Adding & Removing Items

Zogg found a Repair Kit. Let’s add it to the dictionary!

Python
supplies["Repair Kit"] = 1
print(supplies)

🚀 Now, Repair Kit is part of the inventory!

But wait—one Space Suit is torn! Let’s remove it:

Python
del supplies["Space Suits"]
print(supplies)

🗑 Now the Space Suits are gone!

📊 Step 5: Looping Through a Dictionary

Zogg wants a full report of his supplies! Let’s loop through the dictionary:

Python
for item, count in supplies.items():
    print(item + ": " + str(count))

📢 Now, Python lists all supplies and their amounts!

🎯 🚀 Challenge: Track Space Mission Supplies!

Zogg’s spaceship just restocked with:
✅ 7 Water Bottles
✅ 3 Energy Bars

🚀 Mission: Add them to the dictionary and print the full list!

Python
supplies = {
    "Oxygen Tanks": 3,
    "Food Packs": 10,
    "Fuel Cells": 5
}

# Step 1: Add Water Bottles & Energy Bars
___
___

# Step 2: Print the updated inventory
print(___)

Can you complete the mission? Post your answer in the comments! 👇

⚠️ Common Mistakes & Fixes!

❌ Forgetting to use quotes for dictionary keys

Python
supplies = {Oxygen Tanks: 3}  # ❌ ERROR!

✅ Fix:

Python
supplies = {"Oxygen Tanks": 3}  # ✅ Works!

❌ Using = instead of : in dictionaries

Python
supplies = {"Oxygen Tanks" = 3}  # ❌ ERROR!

✅ Fix:

Python
supplies = {"Oxygen Tanks": 3}  # ✅ Works!

🌟 Fun Fact: Dictionaries Are Super Fast!

Looking up values in a dictionary is much faster than searching a list, especially when dealing with huge amounts of data! That’s why Python uses them in AI, games, and databases. 🚀

🚀 Next Mission: “Functions – Giving Python Superpowers!” 🦸‍♂️⚡

Now that Zogg has organized his supplies, he wants to make his spaceship more efficient. But typing the same code over and over is getting frustrating! 🤯

“Isn’t there a way to make Python do tasks for me?” Zogg wonders.

Yes! In the next mission, we’ll learn about functions—special mini-programs inside Python that can save time, reduce errors, and make your code super powerful!

💡 Get ready to write your own functions and make Python work for you! 💻🚀

See you in the next adventure, Junior Python Coder! 🚀👾

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