Understanding; for i in range, x,y = [int(i) in i.... Python3 - list

Question

I am stuck trying to understand the mechanics behind this combined input(), loop & list-comprehension; from Codegaming's "MarsRover" puzzle. The sequence creates a 2D line, representing a cut-out of the topology in an area 6999 units wide (x-axis).
Understandably, my original question was put on hold, being to broad. I am trying to shorten and to narrow the question: I understand list comprehension basically, and I'm ok experienced with for-loops.
Like list comp:
land_y = [int(j) for j in range(k)]
if k = 5; land_y = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
For-loops:
for i in the range(4)
a = 2*i = 6
ab.append(a) = 0,2,4,6
But here, it just doesn't add up (in my head):
6999 points are created along the x-axis, from 6 points(x,y).
surface_n = int(input())
for i in range(surface_n):
land_x, land_y = [int(j) for j in input().split()]
I do not understand where "i" makes a difference.
I do not understand how the data "packaged" inside the input. I have split strings of integers on another task in almost exactly the same code, and I could easily create new lists and work with them - as I understood the structure I was unpacking (pretty simple being one datatype with one purpose).
The fact that this line follows within the "game"-while-loop confuses me more, as it updates dynamically as the state of the game changes.
x, y, h_speed, v_speed, fuel, rotate, power = [int(i) for i in input().split()]
Maybe someone could give an example of how this could be written in javascript, haskell or c#? No need to be syntax-correct, I'm just struggling with the concept here.

Answer 1

input() takes a line from the standard input. So it’s essentially reading some value into your program.
The way that code works, it makes very hard assumptions on the format of the input strings. To the point that it gets confusing (and difficult to verify).
Let’s take a look at this line first:
land_x, land_y = [int(j) for j in input().split()]
You said you already understand list comprehension, so this is essentially equal to this:
inputs = input().split()
result = []
for j in inputs:
results.append(int(j))
land_x, land_y = results
This is a combination of multiple things that happen here. input() reads a line of text into the program, split() separates that string into multiple parts, splitting it whenever a white space character appears. So a string 'foo bar' is split into ['foo', 'bar'].
Then, the list comprehension happens, which essentially just iterates over every item in that splitted input string and converts each item into an integer using int(j). So an input of '2 3' is first converted into ['2', '3'] (list of strings), and then converted into [2, 3] (list of ints).
Finally, the line land_x, land_y = results is evaluated. This is called iterable unpacking and essentially assumes that the iterable on the right has exactly as many items as there are variables on the left. If that’s the case then it’s just a nice way to write the following:
land_x = results[0]
land_y = results[1]
So basically, the whole list comprehension assumes that there is an input of two numbers separated by whitespace, it then splits those into separate strings, converts those into numbers and then assigns each number to a separate variable land_x and land_y.
Exactly the same thing happens again later with the following line:
x, y, h_speed, v_speed, fuel, rotate, power = [int(i) for i in input().split()]
It’s just that this time, it expects the input to have seven numbers instead of just two. But then it’s exactly the same.