This is python 3 btw.

When I do this:

def thing(w):
  for x in w:
    a = []
    if x == "f":
      a.append(4)
    elif x == "s":
      a.append(9)
  return a

print(thing("fssff"))

it outputs [4]. Why doesn't it continue with iterating?

I’m relatively new to coding and for certain projects I always wonder whether I should use a for loop or a while loop. It seems like the results often don’t differ much. Could someone explain when to use which and what the differences are? Or does it really ‘not matter’?

I have a problem assigned in which it asks for the variable z for the given values of variables a, b and c.

The code is as follows:

mult = 0; 

while (a < 10) {  
     mult = b * a; 
     if (mult > c) {  
        break;  
    }  
    a = a + 1; 
} 
z = a; 

a = 4, b = 5, c = 20

So I understood that z = 5 after going through it once so I input this answer and got it right. However, in its explanation it tells me that there's a second iteration where mult is assigned 25 (5*5), then the if branch executes and breaks the loop. Had I not been told this I would have had no idea I had to go through this loop a 2nd time and just assumed it went through it once.

So my question is how do you know how many iterations a loop goes through? I got the answer right but I did not go through it a second time, I just went through it once. So do I have to continue running through the loop over and over until the if statement executes? What if there were no break statement?? I am so confused on this iterations bit. Thank you in advance!!