Longest word in python

Question

txt = input()
list = txt.split()
a=len(list)
b = 0
while b < a :
if len(list[b])>len(list[b-1]):
word = str(list[b])
b=b+1
print(word)

This code works in python app, but doesnt work in this Solo learn app, why? Please help me.

Answer 1

This is what I did...

txt = input()
#this attaches the user input to the variable txt

longest = txt.split()
#.split() takes one large string and separates it into a sortable list

longest_word = max(longest, key=len)
'''This is the tricky part.
max() takes the largest values.
longest is the split variable of the input.
key=len will organize them from smallest to largest.
example = [1,22,0000]
max(example, key=len) = 0000 as the largest.
Alternatively could key=len and take longest[-1] since it was organized from smallest to largest, is largest is at the end of the list.

simple doing longest_word = max(longest) from what I can tell takes in longest[0], so doing key=len forces it to actually go through the list fir the largest word'''

print(longest_word)
#prints the longest word found

there, now you did it with just 4 lines of code.

Answer 2

Because b=b+1 should be inside while loop not outside of it.

Answer 3

Thank you

Answer 4

Thank you Catalyst, for very good explanation