Homework 6: Parallelogram Program

Objective: To use functions to output a parallelogram of the specified size and makeup, using text.

Write a program that behaves as shown below (on Linux):

[cpersiko@fog cs110a]$ python3 parallelogramFunction.py.txt 
This program will output a parallelogram.
How long do you want each side to be? 5
Please enter the character you want it to be made of: *
*
**
***
****
*****
 ****
  ***
   **
    *
[cpersiko@fog cs110a]$ python3 parallelogramFunction.py.txt 
This program will output a parallelogram.
How long do you want each side to be? 8
Please enter the character you want it to be made of: @
@
@@
@@@
@@@@
@@@@@
@@@@@@
@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@
 @@@@@@@
  @@@@@@
   @@@@@
    @@@@
     @@@
      @@
       @
[cpersiko@fog cs110a]$ 

Here are the rules:

• Your program must work with any length greater than 1.
• Your program must use the character the user inputs to draw the parallelogram.
• Hint: I recommend you think of this as a program to output two triangles, one above the other (the longest horizontal line is the border between the triangles).
• Your program must use a main() function (no global variables or global code other than a call to main within an if-statement)
• Your program must also use the following function:

  def repeatChar(numRepeats, outputChar):
      '''
      output the outputChar numRepeats times
      '''
      for colNo in range(numRepeats):
          print(outputChar, end='')
  

• For an extra challenge, instead of the output shown above, make your program output an outline of the parallelogram, like this:

  [cpersiko@fog cs110a]$ python3 parallelogramExtra.py.txt 
  This program will output a parallelogram.
  How long do you want each side to be? 6
  Please enter the character you want it to be made of: @
  @
  @@
  @ @
  @  @
  @   @
  @    @
   @   @
    @  @
     @ @
      @@
       @
  [cpersiko@fog cs110a]$ python3 parallelogramExtra.py.txt 
  This program will output a parallelogram.
  How long do you want each side to be? 9
  Please enter the character you want it to be made of: *
  *
  **
  * *
  *  *
  *   *
  *    *
  *     *
  *      *
  *       *
   *      *
    *     *
     *    *
      *   *
       *  *
        * *
         **
          *
  [cpersiko@fog cs110a]$