Global Variable Error in Python List

Question

I am working on a function that would take an user's input for four people's names and to append them to a list. However with the code below I get this user error. However, when I declare significant_other as a global variable, I get an invalid syntax error. How would I fix my code?

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "mash.py", line 16, in <module>
    print spouse()
  File "mash.py", line 13, in spouse
    significant_other = signficant_other.append(new_spouse)
NameError: global name 'signficant_other' is not defined

Here is the code.

import random
# import random module


def spouse():
# defined function
    significant_other =[]
    #empty list
    for x in range(4):
    # for loop for an iteration of four
        new_spouse = str(raw_input("Type a person you would like to spend your life with."))
        # new spouse input
        significant_other = signficant_other.append(new_spouse)
        #significant other gets added to the list

print spouse()

Thanks for your help with this.

Serial · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-04 05:24:25Z

2

You spelt significant_other like this signficant_other

plus you just need to do:

significant_other.append(new_spouse)

answered Dec 4, 2013 at 5:24

Serial

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Deelaka · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-04 05:23:06Z

1

change your line:

significant_other = signficant_other.append(new_spouse)

To this:

significant_other.append(new_spouse)

Basically you cannot assign a append method because it by default returns None:

>>> a = []
>>> b = a.append(5)
>>> print b
None

And so if you change your code to signficant_other.append(new_spouse) It still fails because you made a small typo you've spelled significant as signficant

answered Dec 4, 2013 at 5:23

Deelaka

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Comments

Steve P. · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-04 05:34:34Z

0

There are a few issues, firstly:

significant_other = signficant_other.append(new_spouse)

.append() will not return a list, it modifies the list and returns None.

Secondly, you're attempting to use print, but the function that you're calling doesn't return what you want, it returns None.

Additionally, there was a spelling issue, but the above two are more important.

Try this:

def spouse():

    significant_other = []

    for x in range(4):

        new_spouse = str(raw_input("...."))
        significant_other.append(new_spouse)

    return significant_other

print spouse()

edited Dec 4, 2013 at 5:34

answered Dec 4, 2013 at 5:24

Steve P.

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