Return value help Python

Question

Im having trouble printing the return value of one of my functions

def readfile(filename):
    '''
    Reads the entire contents of a file into a single string using
    the read() method.

    Parameter: the name of the file to read (as a string)
    Returns: the text in the file as a large, possibly multi-line, string
    '''
    try:
        infile = open(filename, "r") # open file for reading

        # Use Python's file read function to read the file contents
        filetext = infile.read()

        infile.close() # close the file

        return filetext # the text of the file, as a single string
    except IOError:
        ()


def main():
    ''' Read and print a file's contents. '''
    file = input(str('Name of file? '))
    readfile(file)

How do I save readfile's value into a different variable then print the value of the variable where you saved readfile's return value?

Arnaud Aliès · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-30 21:32:49Z

2

This is the simplest way, I wont recommend adding a try block in the function because you will have to use it anyways after or return a empty value which is a bad thing

def readFile(FileName):
    return open(FileName).read()

def main():
    try:
        File_String = readFile(raw_input("File name: "))
        print File_String
    except IOError:
        print("File not found.")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

edited Oct 30, 2012 at 21:32

answered Oct 30, 2012 at 21:25

Arnaud Aliès

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Comments

Aamir · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-30 20:00:24Z

0

Have you tried:

def main():
    ''' Read and print a file's contents. '''
    file = input(str('Name of file? '))
    read_contents = readfile(file)
    print read_contents

answered Oct 30, 2012 at 20:00

Aamir

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Comments

K. Brafford · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-30 20:00:44Z

0

def main():
    ''' Read and print a file's contents. '''
    file = input(str('Name of file? '))
    text = readfile(file)

    print text

answered Oct 30, 2012 at 20:00

K. Brafford

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Comments

Ashwini Chaudhary · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-30 20:06:22Z

0

this should do it, just assign the functions call to a variable.

But in case when the exception is raised you're returning nothing, so the function will return None.

def main():
    ''' Read and print a file's contents. '''
    file = input('Name of file? ')           #no need of str() here
    foo=readfile(file)
    print foo

and use with statement when handling files, it takes care of the closing of the file:

def readfile(filename):
     try:
        with open(filename) as infile :
           filetext = infile.read()
           return filetext    
     except IOError:
        pass 
        #return something here too

edited Oct 30, 2012 at 20:06

answered Oct 30, 2012 at 20:00

Ashwini Chaudhary

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