CODEWITHSUNDEEP
python
user2557280
user2557280

Reputation: 13

Why does my python method print out 'None' when I try to print out the string that the method returns?

This is the problem I'm running into, instead of returning new_word and printing it out it just prints 'None'

    text = "hey hey hey,hey"
    word = 'hey'

    def censor(text,word):
        new_word = ""
        count = 0
        if word in text:
            latter_count = ((text.index(word))+len(word))
            while count < text.index(word):
                new_word+= text[count]
                count += 1
            for i in range(len(word)):
                new_word += '*'
            while latter_count < len(text) :
                new_word += text[latter_count]
                latter_count += 1

            if word in new_word :
                censor(new_word,word)
            else :
                return new_word
    print censor(text,word)

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1206

Answers (3)

cwa
cwa

Reputation: 1142

If the function hits the end without hitting a "return" statement, it's the same as "return None":

def censor(text,word):
    new_word = ""
    count = 0
    if word in text:
        latter_count = ((text.index(word))+len(word))
        while count < text.index(word):
            new_word+= text[count]
            count += 1
        for i in range(len(word)):
            new_word += '*'
        while latter_count < len(text) :
            new_word += text[latter_count]
            latter_count += 1

        if word in new_word :
            censor(new_word,word)  # probably want to return here
        else :                     # don't need this else if you return in the if branch
            return new_word

    # what do you want to return in this case?
    return None

Upvotes: 0

TerryA
TerryA

Reputation: 59984

A function returns None if there is no return statement.

Probably while doing recursion, if word in text: is False, and so there is nothing to return. You also did not return the recursive step. You must return censor(new_word,word)

Upvotes: 4

BrenBarn
BrenBarn

Reputation: 251408

You're not returning in the first branch of the if toward the end. Change that to

if word in new_word:
    return censor(new_word,word)

Your function will also return None if word in text is false, so you might want to add an else at the end to return an empty string or some other default value in that case.

Upvotes: 2

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