Tall, Dark And Handsome - Python

Return values from a function can even be substituted for variables anywhere in a program.

#!/usr/bin/python
# define a function
def marryMe():
if tall == 1 and dark == 1 and handsome == 1:
return "Yes!"
else:
return "I'm sorry, I just don't feel the same way about
you."
# set some variables
tall = 1
dark = 1
handsome = 1
# pop the question
print "Will you marry me?"
# use return value in a function call
print(marryMe())

Notice how the function is able to read the values of variables defined outside the function; this is related to variable scope in Python, and I plan to discuss it in detail a little further down.

Return values need not be numbers or strings alone - a function can just as easily return a list, dictionary or tuple, as demonstrated in the following example:

Python 1.5.2 (#1, Aug 25 2000, 09:33:37)  [GCC 2.96 20000731
(experimental)] on linux-i386
Copyright 1991-1995 Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam
>>> def returnList():
...         return ["Huey", "Dewey", "Louie"]
...
>>> def returnTuple():
...         return "macaroni", "spaghetti", "lasagne", "fettucine"
...
>>> def returnDictionary():
...         return {"new hope":"Luke", "teacher":"Yoda", "bad guy":"Darth"}
...
>>> print type(returnList())

>>> print type(returnTuple())

>>> print type(returnDictionary())

>>>

>>> More Python Articles          >>> More By Vikram Vaswani, (c) Melonfire

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