Hi Jim, Is this a new thread? Did you put quotes around one of your target values? If so, then that value is no longer callable in the current program (the runner function), look at your stack trace for hints as to where it is blowing up. If you are just tinkering around in the interpreter with a dictionary, I'm not clear on what is going on. Using the interpreter is a great resource. Be sure to use help(item) to get details on calling and so on. Note you can get help on data structure functions like the dict 'keys' function by entering: >>> help({}.keys) Richard ----- Original Message ----- From: Homme, James To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 12:01 PM Subject: RE: Python: A Program I'd Love To Understand Hi Richard, I am starting to be less timid about trying things out from the interpreter command prompt. I just changed my program and put single quotes around one of the dictionary values, and Python complained that the object wasn't callable. Jim From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of R Dinger Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 2:17 PM To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Python: A Program I'd Love To Understand Jim, Your dictionary entries are all of the form: 'key': target Your keys must be immutable like a string, tuple, number and so forth. Your target can be almost anything like a string, tuple, list, function and so forth. Since your targets are not quoted, they are not strings. In addition each target, like death, must have been defined previously in your current module or some module you have already imported. HTH Richard The ----- Original Message ----- From: Homme, James To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 10:59 AM Subject: Python: A Program I'd Love To Understand Hi, I have lots of questions about the current Python exercise I'm working on, so I'll just ask one at a time. Hope you have lots of patience. First question. I think I should be getting a compiler error but I'm not. I thought I had to put some sort of quotes around this code after the commas. Why is this compiling OK? ROOMS = { 'death': death, 'princess_lives_here': princess_lives_here, 'gold_koi_pond': gold_koi_pond, 'big_iron_gate': big_iron_gate, 'bear_with_sword': bear_with_sword } Thanks. Jim Jim Homme, Usability Services, Phone: 412-544-1810. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail and any attachments to it are confidential and are intended solely for use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and then delete it. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not keep, use, disclose, copy or distribute this e-mail without the author's prior permission. The views expressed in this e-mail message do not necessarily represent the views of Highmark Inc., its subsidiaries, or affiliates.