Python function is returning incorrect data

Question

The code below, when referenced in a separate file is returning incorrect data. When given data that does not match the if/else statements, it will loop through the function again, but the variable in the other file (client_type) will still be the incorrect choice.

function:

def create_client():
    client_type = input()

    if client_type == 'Mickey':
        return 'Mickey'
    elif client_type == 'Jenny':
        return 'Jenny'
    elif client_type == 'McElroy':
        return 'McElroy'
    else:
        create_client()

call to the function:

client_type = functions.create_client()

if client_type == 'Mickey':
    client = functions.client(3, 5, 2)
elif client_type == 'Jenny':
    client = functions.client(5, 2, 3)
elif client_type == 'McElroy':
    client = functions.client(4, 1, 5)
else:
    print('Error on choosing client in function create_client.')

Asked By: Carl Woodruff

||

Source

Answer 1

Your problem is that when your function recurses, it returns nothing.

You should change

else:
    create_client()

to

else:
    return create_client()

Now, not a direct answer, but you really shouldn’t use recursion in this case, it is better with a loop:

def create_client():
    while True:
        client_type = input()

        if client_type == 'Mickey':
            return 'Mickey'
        elif client_type == 'Jenny':
            return 'Jenny'
        elif client_type == 'McElroy':
            return 'McElroy'

That won’t exhaust the recursive call stack, and saves resources.

I would even go ahead and use a dict instead of a sequence of if/elif:

client_types = {
    'Mickey':  (3, 5, 2),
    'Jenny':   (5, 2, 3),
    'McElroy': (4, 1, 5),
}

then you can make your code search the dict and return the correct numbers:

while True:
    t = input()
    if t in client_types:
        break
client = functions.client(*client_types[t])

Answered By: nosklo

Python function is returning incorrect data

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