Crafting Recipes

A dictionary stores what each item costs. Check if you have enough to craft.

🎯 What you will learn

A dictionary pairs keys with values
Look up a value using its key
Check requirements before crafting

👋 Let’s get started!

In Minecraft, a recipe says what you need to craft a tool. In Python, a dictionary stores a recipe: each item name is a key, and the amount is its value. 🪓

🪜 Step by step

1. 📖 A dictionary

A dictionary uses {key: value} pairs.

recipe = {"wood": 2, "stone": 3}
print(recipe)

2. 🔍 Look up

Use the key in square brackets to find its value.

print(recipe["stone"])

3. ✅ Check first

Compare what you have with what the recipe needs.

have = 5
if have >= recipe["wood"]:
    print("Enough wood!")

🧪 Try it!

Change the code and press ▶ Run to see what happens. You can’t break anything!

Craft a pickaxe

recipe = {"wood": 2, "stone": 3}
bag = {"wood": 5, "stone": 2}
for item in recipe:
    if bag[item] >= recipe[item]:
        print("Enough", item)
    else:
        print("Need more", item)

🎨 Unplugged activity

🪓 Write a recipe for a sandwich as a dictionary (bread: 2, peanut butter: 1, jelly: 1). Then check whether your kitchen has enough!

Fix the recipe check

recipe = {"wood": 2}
bag = {"wood": 1}
if bag["wood"] >= recipe["wood"]:
    print("Craft!")
else:
    print("Get more wood")

📖 Key words

Tap a card to flip it over!

Dictionary: Pairs of keys and values 📖
Key: The name you look up 🔑
Value: What the key stores 💎

🏆 Challenge

The recipe needs 4 sticks. You have 3. Print “Need more sticks”. Press ▶ Run.

Challenge

recipe = {"sticks": 4}
bag = {"sticks": 3}

Knowledge Check Quiz

What is in {"wood": 2}?
How do you find the stone amount?
When should you craft?