python player movement for game in 5x5 board

Question

def playerMove (board,player):
userInput = input("Enter a direction NSWE: ").upper()
if userInput == "N":
    if (player == 0):
        board[player] = '.'
        player += 1
        board[player] = '@'
elif userInput == "S":

    if (player(board)-1):
        board[player] = '.'
        player += 1
        board[player] = '@'
elif userInput == "E":

    if (player < len(board)-1):
        board[player] = '.'
        player += 1
        board[player] = '@'
elif userInput == "W":

    if (player['x'] > 0):
        board[player] = '.'
        player -= 1
        board[player] = '@'

this is a sample coding for a game i am creating, i have everything already coded for when a player is created it is randomly placed on a 5x5 board. i need an option for a user to move the player NESW, but i cannot figure it out. this is not all of my coding, just the part that i need help with.

here is the board coding

'def createBoard():
tempList = []
for i in range (5):
    tempList.append(".")

board = []
for i in range (5):
    board.append(["."]*5)

return board


def showBoard(board):    
    print ("---------")
    print ("|".join(board[0]))
    print ("---------")
    print("|".join(board[1]))
    print ("---------")
    print("|".join(board[2]))
    print ("---------")
    print("|".join(board[3]))
    print ("---------")
    print("|".join(board[4]))
    print ("---------")

def placePlayer(board,player):
    len(board[0])
    row = random.randint(0, len(board) -1)
    col = random.randint(0, len(board[0])-1)
    board[row][col] = '@' 
    return board, row, col

Answer 1

Your player doesn't appear to be referenced by a single integer value, but instead a row and a col

You should update your code to either pass a tuple around or pass in the row and col values as in the following snippet:

def playerMove (board,playerRow, playerCol):
    if userInput == "N":
        if (playerRow > 0):
            board[playerRow][playerCol] = '.'
            playerRow -= 1
            board[playerRow][playerCol] = '@'

Note: The above code assumes that your board is split into a multidimsional array. As it is currently, you would need to manipulate the strings in your array as strings do not allow you to directly modify the contents in place.

Answer 2

1) First of all, in your board generating code you put:

board = []
for i in range (5):
    board.append(["."]*5)

return board

In that code, it is not necessary to use return board as it is not in a function. Return statements are mostly used in functions:

def square(x):
    return x*x

2) Your board will be organized with a list in a list like the following:

board = [
    ['.', '.', '.', '.', '.'],
    ['.', '.', '.', '.', '.'],
    ['.', '.', '.', '.', '.'],
    ['.', '.', '.', '.', '.'],
    ['.', '.', '.', '.', '.']
    ]

To look up a point on the board you would use the following syntax:

board[row][col]

The [row] points to the list in the board list, while the [col] points to an item in that list. So to find a point on the grid you need both the row and the column.

To move the player up one in the board you would use the following:

board[row][col] = '.' #reset last position to '.'
board[row][col-1] = '@' #set the coordinate above to '@'

And to move the player one to the right you would use the following:

board[row][col] = '.' #reset last position '.'
board[row+1][col] = '@' #set the coordinate to the right to '@'