Assigning a variable to a function return?

Question

I came across the following function:

def load_words():
    """
    Returns a list of valid words. Words are strings of lowercase letters.

    Depending on the size of the word list, this function may
    take a while to finish.
    """
    print("Loading word list from file...")
    # inFile: file
    inFile = open(WORDLIST_FILENAME, 'r')
    # line: string
    line = inFile.readline() # reads one entire line from a file (as a string)
    # wordlist: list of strings
    wordlist = line.split()
    print("  ", len(wordlist), "words loaded.")
    return wordlist 

wordlist = load_words()

I don't understand the assignment of the function load_words() to the variable wordlist? When the variable is assigned, the function gets executed.

Is wordlist the function load_words()? Or is it the return of the function load_words()?

wordlist = load_words() is conceptually not different from inFile = open(WORDLIST_FILENAME, 'r') - a function is called and whatever the function returns is assigned to the variable. — Thomas Kläger
– Thomas Kläger, Commented Apr 8, 2020 at 11:24

Joshua Varghese · Accepted Answer · 2020-04-08 11:30:53Z

1

When you give:

wordlist = load_words()

you are running the function load_words() and assigning the return value wordlist to the variable wordlist outside the function.

You can also run functions without assigning it to a variable, like:

load_words() but here the wordlist variable you return, is not stored anywere in the python (i mean the current shell) for further use. The wordlist inside the function is a local variable and is valid only inside the function.
So when you give wordlist = load_words(), wordlist now becomes a global variable, so that you you call it when you require it.

edited Apr 8, 2020 at 11:30

answered Apr 8, 2020 at 11:23

Joshua Varghese

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