Error in function to return 3 largest values from a list of numbers

Question

I have this data file and I have to find the 3 largest numbers it contains

24.7    25.7    30.6    47.5    62.9    68.5    73.7    67.9    61.1    48.5    39.6    20.0
16.1    19.1    24.2    45.4    61.3    66.5    72.1    68.4    60.2    50.9    37.4    31.1
10.4    21.6    37.4    44.7    53.2    68.0    73.7    68.2    60.7    50.2    37.2    24.6
21.5    14.7    35.0    48.3    54.0    68.2    69.6    65.7    60.8    49.1    33.2    26.0
19.1    20.6    40.2    50.0    55.3    67.7    70.7    70.3    60.6    50.7    35.8    20.7
14.0    24.1    29.4    46.6    58.6    62.2    72.1    71.7    61.9    47.6    34.2    20.4
8.4     19.0    31.4    48.7    61.6    68.1    72.2    70.6    62.5    52.7    36.7    23.8
11.2    20.0    29.6    47.7    55.8    73.2    68.0    67.1    64.9    57.1    37.6    27.7
13.4    17.2    30.8    43.7    62.3    66.4    70.2    71.6    62.1    46.0    32.7    17.3
22.5    25.7    42.3    45.2    55.5    68.9    72.3    72.3    62.5    55.6    38.0    20.4
17.6    20.5    34.2    49.2    54.8    63.8    74.0    67.1    57.7    50.8    36.8    25.5
20.4    19.6    24.6    41.3    61.8    68.5    72.0    71.1    57.3    52.5    40.6    26.2

Therefore I have written the following code, but it only searches the first row of numbers instead of the entire list. Can anyone help to find the error?

def three_highest_temps(f):
    file = open(f, "r")
    largest = 0
    second_largest = 0
    third_largest = 0
    temp = []
    for line in file:
        temps = line.split()

        for i in temps:
            if i > largest:
                largest = i
            elif largest > i > second_largest:
                second_largest = i
            elif second_largest > i > third_largest:
                third_largest = i
        return largest, second_largest, third_largest

print(three_highest_temps("data5.txt"))

Answer 1

Your data contains float numbers not integer.

You can use sorted:

>>> data = '''24.7    25.7    30.6    47.5    62.9    68.5    73.7    67.9    61.1    48.5    39.6    20.0
... 16.1    19.1    24.2    45.4    61.3    66.5    72.1    68.4    60.2    50.9    37.4    31.1
... 10.4    21.6    37.4    44.7    53.2    68.0    73.7    68.2    60.7    50.2    37.2    24.6
... 21.5    14.7    35.0    48.3    54.0    68.2    69.6    65.7    60.8    49.1    33.2    26.0
... 19.1    20.6    40.2    50.0    55.3    67.7    70.7    70.3    60.6    50.7    35.8    20.7
... 14.0    24.1    29.4    46.6    58.6    62.2    72.1    71.7    61.9    47.6    34.2    20.4
... 8.4     19.0    31.4    48.7    61.6    68.1    72.2    70.6    62.5    52.7    36.7    23.8
... 11.2    20.0    29.6    47.7    55.8    73.2    68.0    67.1    64.9    57.1    37.6    27.7
... 13.4    17.2    30.8    43.7    62.3    66.4    70.2    71.6    62.1    46.0    32.7    17.3
... 22.5    25.7    42.3    45.2    55.5    68.9    72.3    72.3    62.5    55.6    38.0    20.4
... 17.6    20.5    34.2    49.2    54.8    63.8    74.0    67.1    57.7    50.8    36.8    25.5
... 20.4    19.6    24.6    41.3    61.8    68.5    72.0    71.1    57.3    52.5    40.6    26.2
... '''

>>> sorted(map(float, data.split()), reverse=True)[:3]
[74.0, 73.7, 73.7]

If you want to integer results

>>> temps = sorted(map(float, data.split()), reverse=True)[:3]
>>> map(int, temps)
[74, 73, 73]