How to retrieve a variable from a function?-CodePudding

Say we have a function named shopping_cart(), and inside it we have a list assigned to the variable cart_items. How would I be able to use this variable/list out side of this function?

CodePudding user response：

return cart_items. Like this:

def shopping_cart():
    cart_items = ["apple", "banana"]
    return cart_items

items = shopping_cart()
print(items)
#['apple', 'banana']

This website explains it fairly well, and you can find numerous others by looking it up. (Hint: This is definitely something you could have looked up yourself)

CodePudding user response：

You'll need to either return the variable or use a global variable. Other answers have returned the variable, so here's an example using a global variable:

def shopping_cart():
    global cart_items
    cart_items = ["apple", "banana"]

CodePudding user response：

if you don't need to return it you should to define it as global variable and use it anywhere you want, but you need to use "global cart_items" before use this variable in any function, like this code:

cart_items = ['hello']
def shopping_cart():
    global cart_items
    cart_items.append('world!')


print(cart_items)
#['hello']

shopping_cart()

print(cart_items)
#['hello', 'world!']

and you can return cart_items, like this code:

def shopping_cart():
    cart_items = ['hello']
    cart_items.append('world!')
    return cart_items


print(shopping_cart())
#['hello', 'world!']

CodePudding user response：

You would not be able to access that variable because of scope. What you could do is declare that variable as a global variable and then change the value inside the function.

Here is an example:


def shopping_cart():
    global cart_items
    cart_items = ["some value"]
shopping_cart()
print(cart_items)