CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythondictionary
InfinteScroll
InfinteScroll

Reputation: 684

Python: Dictionary not passing out of my function

So I have a function that takes two dictionaries, adds them together.

from collections import Counter

def ReportTwoAddedDictionaries(DictOne,DictTwo):


    Dict1 = Counter(DictOne)
    Dict2 = Counter(DictTwo)
    DictTotal = Dict1 + Dict2

    print DictTotal

    DictTotal = dict(DictTotal)
    print DictTotal
    return DictTotal

When I run the function:

ReportTwoAddedDictionaries(FreePoints,FlyPoints)

it prints out DictTotal correctly (as it is told to do inside the function). However, when I try outside of the function, after running it, it prints empty

print DictTotal

Any idea why DictTotal is returning empty, but prints fine from within the function? Thank you.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 140

Answers (3)

James Sapam
James Sapam

Reputation: 16930

Or you can define DictTotal as global variable, which is visible outside the function scope, but its less recommended.

from collections import Counter

def ReportTwoAddedDictionaries(DictOne,DictTwo):

    global DictTotal
    Dict1 = Counter(DictOne)
    Dict2 = Counter(DictTwo)
    DictTotal = Dict1 + Dict2

    print DictTotal

    DictTotal = dict(DictTotal)
    print DictTotal
    return DictTotal

ReportTwoAddedDictionaries({1: 2},{'1' : '3'})

print DictTotal

Upvotes: 0

user764357
user764357

Reputation:

When you call this method:

ReportTwoAddedDictionaries(FreePoints,FlyPoints)

The returned value isn't stored anywhere. What you see being printed is the print inside the function.

When you call print DictTotal outside the function, it should throw an error, unless you've previously declared that variable.

If you store the returned variable in the current scope, like this:

DictTotal = ReportTwoAddedDictionaries(FreePoints,FlyPoints)
print DictTotal

You should see the dictionary printed as requested.

Upvotes: 0

Mark Ransom
Mark Ransom

Reputation: 308111

You need to capture the return value. A return statement doesn't just magically create a new variable in the caller's space.

DictTotal = ReportTwoAddedDictionaries(FreePoints,FlyPoints)

P.S. There's no need for the variable you use for the return value to be the same name as the one returned from the function.

foo = ReportTwoAddedDictionaries(FreePoints,FlyPoints)
print foo

Upvotes: 2

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