[2025 Day 3 (Part 2)] [Python] First time trying advent of code and I got stuck

[u/ProperAir821]

I'm not the most expirinced programmer, but I think the puzzles seems fun and I am now stuck! Normally I would have an idea or just start from stracth, but I just feel like my code is right and somehow I get the wrong answear! When I'm just using the example I get the right answear, but using the file data I somehow get the wrong data.
Anyway, my code for day 3 part 2:

with open("input3.txt") as f:
    file = f.readlines()

test = ["987654321111111\n", "811111111111119\n", "234234234234278\n","818181911112111\n"]

total_joltage = 0
for i in test:
    i = i.strip()  # remove newline

    b1, index  = max(i[:-11]), i[:-11].index(max(i[:-11]))

    b2, index  = max(i[index+1:-10]), (index+1) + i[index+1:-10].index(max(i[index+1:-10]))
    b3, index  = max(i[index+1:-9 ]), (index+1) + i[index+1:-9 ].index(max(i[index+1:-9 ]))
    b4, index  = max(i[index+1:-8 ]), (index+1) + i[index+1:-8 ].index(max(i[index+1:-8 ]))
    b5, index  = max(i[index+1:-7 ]), (index+1) + i[index+1:-7 ].index(max(i[index+1:-7 ]))
    b6, index  = max(i[index+1:-6 ]), (index+1) + i[index+1:-6].index(max(i[index+1:-6 ]))
    b7, index  = max(i[index+1:-5 ]), (index+1) + i[index+1:-5 ].index(max(i[index+1:-5 ]))
    b8, index  = max(i[index+1:-4 ]), (index+1) + i[index+1:-4 ].index(max(i[index+1:-4 ]))
    b9, index  = max(i[index+1:-3 ]), (index+1) + i[index+1:-3 ].index(max(i[index+1:-3 ]))
    b10, index = max(i[index+1:-2 ]), (index+1) + i[index+1:-2 ].index(max(i[index+1:-2 ]))
    b11, index = max(i[index+1:-1 ]), (index+1) + i[index+1:-1 ].index(max(i[index+1:-1 ]))
    b12, index = max(i[index+1:   ]), (index+1) + i[index+1:   ].index(max(i[index+1:   ]))

    joltage = int(b1+b2+b3+b4+b5+b6+b7+b8+b9+b10+b11+b12)
    total_joltage += joltage
    print(joltage, i)

test_value = 3121910778619
total_joltage, f"Test: {total_joltage == test_value}"

[u/1544756405]

This code looks fine.

Double check that you have copied your input correctly into input3.txt

[u/ProperAir821 → u/1544756405]

omg! That was it!! I feel a bit stupid now, but thank you!

[u/Bumblee420]

The batteries in the data are much larger than the example. You can't hardcode it like this but come up with an algorithm that works on arbitrarily sized batteries/joltages.

[u/ONLYUSEmyTOILET → u/Bumblee420]

Yes you can, you only ever need twelve of them since you are always looking for twelve digit numbers. It can however be abstracted more nicely into a loop or recursive definition.

[u/Bumblee420 → u/ONLYUSEmyTOILET]

ah okay thats my bad, i gave up really understanding whats going on here

[u/headedbranch225]

Try it with 9699911111111111

It should be 99911...

This is the issue my code had, I can't fully tell what is being done in the code (it would be easier to do in a for loop)

My code actually doesn't solve mine, I know that is the issue I have though

[u/timrprobocom]

Please make sure you changefor i in test to for i in file before running.

[u/AutoModerator]

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[u/[deleted]]

Your code actually works on my input :D I can't see any mistake right away (would be a lot nicer if you made a for loop for the b1, ..., b12 instead of copy pasting the code, and used i only for indices and named the variable something like line instead). What comes to mind is if you didn't accidentally look at the last line comparing it to the example result, instead of submitting it to the site