How to choose a random question from items in a list/dict imported from a CSV file?

Question

I have to code a quiz as a homework assignment. The very last step involves me randomizing the order in which the questions are asked.

I'm not sure how to do this, because I'm not 100% sure even how my existing code works - whether to pick it from the CSV file itself or from the list/dict (is it a list or a dictionary?).

score=0
questionno=0
def parse_csv(file_name: str) -> dict:
    retval = {}
    with open(file_name) as f:
        for line in f:
            data = line.strip().split(',')
            key, *values = (v.strip() for v in data)
            retval[key] = values
    return retval

questions = parse_csv('questions.txt')
for question, answers in questions.items():
    questionno+=1
    correct = answers[-1]
    answers = answers[:-1]
    print(questionno)
    result = input(f"{question}: {','.join(answers)}")
    if result=="A" or result=="B" or result=="C" or result=="D":
        if result == correct:
            print('Correct!')
            score+=1
        else:
            print(f'The correct answer is {correct!r}')
            break
    else:
        print("Invalid Entry")
        break

print(score)

Answer 1

By design, dictionnaries in Python don't have any order (see OrderedDict for that), but when you iterate over it the order isn't really random either!

Here's what I suggest to make the question order truly random:

from random import shuffle


questions = parse_csv('questions.txt')
shuffledquestions = list(questions.items())
shuffle(shuffledquestions)
for (question, answer) in shuffledquestions:
    questionno+=1
    correct = answers[-1]
    answers = answers[:-1]
    print(questionno)
    result = input(f"{question}: {','.join(answers)}")
    if result=="A" or result=="B" or result=="C" or result=="D":
        if result == correct:
            print('Correct!')
            score+=1
        else:
            print(f'The correct answer is {correct!r}')
            break
    else:
        print("Invalid Entry")
        break

The idea is making a list of (question, answer) Tuple, shuffle it using random.shuffle and then iterate over it.

EDIT: I forgot that shuffle() was in place and didn't return the list, now it should work

Answer 2

It is a dictionary. You could use numpy.random.shuffle after converting dictionary to list of tuples like so:

import numpy as np

questions = list(parse_csv('questions.txt').items())
np.random.shuffle(questions)
for question, answers in questions:
    ...

Answer 3

You can ask the question again if the user enters invalid entry - Also it shuffles the order.

import random
score=0
questionno=0
def parse_csv(file_name: str) -> dict:
    retval = {}
    with open(file_name) as f:
        for line in f:
            data = line.strip().split(',')
            key, *values = (v.strip() for v in data)
            retval[key] = values
    return retval
questions = parse_csv('questions.txt')
l = list(questions.items())
random.shuffle(l)
questions = dict(l)
for question, answers in questions.items():
    questionno+=1
    correct = answers[-1]
    answers = answers[:-1]
    while True:    
        result = input(f"{question}: {','.join(answers)}")
        if result=="A" or result=="B" or result=="C" or result=="D":
            if result == correct:
                print('Correct!')
                score+=1
                break
            else:
                print(f'The correct answer is {correct!r}')
                break
        else:
            print("Invalid Entry\n Try again...")