Validation checking

[perfringo]

I want to create a 4 in a row game which I can adapt to make it harder, but I want to create a game board using a 2D array, I want to create a validation method by checking the column selected is within the correct parameters. I need to fix the error given.

I concur with jefsummers and suggest of doing some planning.

For me there is still ambiguity:

- what is '4 in a row game'?
- for what and how game board will be used?
- do you need check only columns (and not rows)?

EDIT:

Some additional observations to jefsummers: at any cost try to avoid this:

# code
columns = 6
# some more code
def is_valid_location(board, column):
    if column > 6 or column <= 0:
        invalid = True

At some point in future you decide that board should have 8 columns instead of 6. You will change 'columns' value and expect your code to work same. But validation function doesn't know anything about columns. There is hardcoded 6 which is checked. As this is buried in body of function this bug will be hard to trace. Never hardcode.

For readability purposes you can instead of if column > 6 or column <=0: write if columns < column <= 0.