Returning variable outside function

Question

Why is x not defined outside the function? Is return x placed wrong?

def find():

x else:

find()

You are breaking before you are returning, and should your conditional statement evaluate to false you aren't returning at all. — miradulo
– miradulo, Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 14:25
break immediately exits the loop, so the statement after it is never executed. — Barmar
– Barmar, Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 14:25

Barmar · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-23 14:27:14Z

6

Put return x outside the loop:

def find(): 
    data=file('file.dat')
    x=0
    for line in data:
        if 'metaend' in line:
            break
        else:
            x+=1
    return x

To get the value of x, you use the return value of the function:

count = find()

answered Apr 23, 2015 at 14:27

Barmar

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Comments

hitzg · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-23 14:30:32Z

2

Your function never returns anything. Check this, with some added error handling for no end of metadata detection

def find(): 
    data=file('file.dat')
    x=0
    for line in data:
        if 'metaend' in line:
            return x

        x += 1
    raise Exception('heeey no end of metadata')

By the way, python has a very nice function for a counter in a loop:

def find(): 
    data=file('file.dat')

    for counter, line in enumerate(data):
        if 'metaend' in line:
            return counter

    raise Exception('heeey no end of metadata')

edited Apr 23, 2015 at 14:30

hitzg

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answered Apr 23, 2015 at 14:27

bgusach

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