python/high-scores OOP HINTS

exercises/high-scores/.meta/HINTS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+In this exercise you're going to create a **class** and use lists to organize scores.  _Don't worry, it's not as complicated as you think!_ 
+
+-   [**A First Look at Classes**](https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/classes.html#a-first-look-at-classes) from the Python 3 documentation. 
+-   [**How to Define a Class in Python**](https://realpython.com/python3-object-oriented-programming/#how-to-define-a-class-in-python) from the Real Python website.  
+-   [**Data Structures in Python**](https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/datastructures.html) from the Python 3 documentation.

exercises/high-scores/README.md

@@ -4,19 +4,59 @@ Manage a game player's High Score list.
 
 Your task is to build a high-score component of the classic Frogger game, one of the highest selling and addictive games of all time, and a classic of the arcade era. Your task is to write methods that return the highest score from the list, the last added score and the three highest scores.
 
-## Submitting Exercises
+In this exercise you're going to create a **class** and use lists to organize scores.  _Don't worry, it's not as complicated as you think!_ 
+
+-   [**A First Look at Classes**](https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/classes.html#a-first-look-at-classes) from the Python 3 documentation. 
+-   [**How to Define a Class in Python**](https://realpython.com/python3-object-oriented-programming/#how-to-define-a-class-in-python) from the Real Python website.  
+-   [**Data Structures in Python**](https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/datastructures.html) from the Python 3 documentation.
+
+
+
+## Exception messages
+
+Sometimes it is necessary to raise an exception. When you do this, you should include a meaningful error message to
+indicate what the source of the error is. This makes your code more readable and helps significantly with debugging. Not
+every exercise will require you to raise an exception, but for those that do, the tests will only pass if you include
+a message.
+
+To raise a message with an exception, just write it as an argument to the exception type. For example, instead of
+`raise Exception`, you should write:
+
+```python
+raise Exception("Meaningful message indicating the source of the error")
+```
+
+## Running the tests
 
-Note that, when trying to submit an exercise, make sure the solution is in the `exercism/python/<exerciseName>` directory.
+To run the tests, run the appropriate command below ([why they are different](https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/1629#issue-161422224)):
 
-For example, if you're submitting `bob.py` for the Bob exercise, the submit command would be something like `exercism submit <path_to_exercism_dir>/python/bob/bob.py`.
+- Python 2.7: `py.test high_scores_test.py`
+- Python 3.4+: `pytest high_scores_test.py`
 
+Alternatively, you can tell Python to run the pytest module (allowing the same command to be used regardless of Python version):
+`python -m pytest high_scores_test.py`
+
+### Common `pytest` options
+
+- `-v` : enable verbose output
+- `-x` : stop running tests on first failure
+- `--ff` : run failures from previous test before running other test cases
+
+For other options, see `python -m pytest -h`
+
+## Submitting Exercises
+
+Note that, when trying to submit an exercise, make sure the solution is in the `$EXERCISM_WORKSPACE/python/high-scores` directory.
+
+You can find your Exercism workspace by running `exercism debug` and looking for the line that starts with `Workspace`.
 
 For more detailed information about running tests, code style and linting,
-please see the [help page](http://exercism.io/languages/python).
+please see [Running the Tests](http://exercism.io/tracks/python/tests).
 
 ## Source
 
 Tribute to the eighties' arcade game Frogger
 
 ## Submitting Incomplete Solutions
+
 It's possible to submit an incomplete solution so you can see how others have completed the exercise.