Making a box in python with controlled inputs from user

Question

I am trying to make a box where the user inputs the width, height, what kind of symbol the box should be made out of and the fill(inside the box). I am a new python coder, so any suggestions would be great, but the more novice level responses the better so i may learn and not skip into far advance techniques.

  def main():
        width = print(int("Please enter the width of the box: "))
        height = print(int("Please enter the height of the box: "))
        symbol =  print("Please enter the symbol for the box outline: ")
        fill = print("Please enter the symbol for the box fill: ")
        for a in range(width):
            for b in range(height):
                if i in #some condition here
                    print(symbol)
                else:
                    print(fill)
    main()

My projected input should be:

width: 4
height: 4
symbol: #
fill:1
####
#11#
#11#
####

Answer 1

def main():
    # input is your friend here 
    width = input("Please enter the width of the box: ")
    #width = print(int("Please enter the width of the box: "))
    # input etc.. 
    height = print(int("Please enter the height of the box: "))
    symbol =  print("Please enter the symbol for the box outline: ")
    fill = print("Please enter the symbol for the box fill: ")
    #since you'll be printing rows of text you should probably flip these loops
    for row in range(height):
    #for a in range(width): 
        for col in range(width):
        #for b in range(height):
            #   i ??? huh where did this come from ?
            #if i in [0, width-1] or [0, height-1]:
            # descriptive variables can only help
            if row in [0,height-1] or col in [0,width-1]:
                print(symbol)
            else:
                print(fill)

Answer 2

Use input("Enter number") to get input from the user. You should first loop on height then on width. To print with no new-line use end="" as a parameter to print . You used i instead of b and a . That's about it I think. Next time ask more specific questions.

Answer 3

def main():
    width = int(input("Please enter the width of the box: "))
    height = int(input("Please enter the height of the box: "))
    symbol = input("Please enter the symbol for the box outline: ")
    fill = input("Please enter the symbol for the box fill: ")
    dictionary = []
    for row in range(height):
        for col in range(width):
            if row in [0, height-1] or col in [0, width-1]:
                dictionary.append(symbol)
            else:
                dictionary.append(fill)

    def slice_per(source, step):
        return [source[i::step] for i in range(step)]
    sliced = slice_per(dictionary, width)
    for x in range(len(sliced)):
        print("".join(sliced[x]), end="\n")
main()

Output - 5, 5, #, 0

#####
#000#
#000#
#000#
#####