Conditionally calling a function in another script and using it's variables

Question

I have two scripts, one calling the other in Python 27. The first script, Script1.py, contains some conditional statements. Then I have a second script, Script2.py that calls the first script and passes an argument to the function, func1 imported from the first script.

However I then get an error when running the second script that the variables in func1 are not defined. Why is this? What should I do to resolve?

Thanks

Script1.py:

def func1(var):

    if var == '1':

        test1 = 'a'
        test2 = 'b'
        test3 = 'c'

    if var == '2':

        test1 = 'd'
        test2 = 'e'
        test3 = 'f'

Script2.py:

from Script1 import func1

func1('1')

print test1, test2, test3

func1('2')

print test1, test2, test3


Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "G:/Python27/Script2.py", line 5, in <module>
    print test1, test2, test3
NameError: name 'test1' is not defined

That will not work because the scope of those variables are local to the function. — accdias
– accdias, Commented Apr 21, 2019 at 13:38
your function should probably return test1, test2, test3; and then you could call it this way: test1, test2, test3 = func1('1'). — hiro protagonist
– hiro protagonist, Commented Apr 21, 2019 at 13:38
i figured the variables were local to that function, but how do I call them from my second script? i know you can do 'from function import var', however the issue here is the function in script one is parameterised and I am therefore unsure how to call the variables in func1 based on this conditional input... — gdogg371
– gdogg371, Commented Apr 21, 2019 at 13:40

warped · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-21 14:06:55Z

1

def func1(var):

    if var == '1':
        test1 = 'a'
        test2 = 'b'
        test3 = 'c'

    elif var == '2':
        test1 = 'd'
        test2 = 'e'
        test3 = 'f'

    # to catch error when different argument is passed
    else:
        test1 = test2 = test3 = None

    return test1, test2, test3 # return the variables, so they can be used outside

and:

from Script1 import func1

test1, test2, test3 = func1('1')

print test1, test2, test3

test1, test2, test3 = func1('2')

print test1, test2, test3

edited Apr 21, 2019 at 14:06

answered Apr 21, 2019 at 14:03

warped

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3 Comments

gdogg371 Over a year ago

this gives an error of: Traceback (most recent call last): File "G:/Python27/Script2.py", line 3, in <module> test1, test2, test3 = func1('1') TypeError: 'NoneType' object is not iterable

warped Over a year ago

sorry, there was a space too much. should be fine now.

gdogg371 Over a year ago

thank you. this now works perfectly in my actual code as well as the simple scenario example given in the question. I have also learned a valuable lesson on my python journey.

Devesh Kumar Singh · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-21 14:22:59Z

0

To simplify your code, you can define your func1 as follows, note that I can return the values directly, and I do not need to assign them to variables

def func1(var):

    if var == '1':
       return 'a', 'b', 'c'
    elif var == '2':
       return 'd', 'e', 'f'

Then to read those values, you read the values in a variable, and print them

from Script1 import func1
test1, test2, test3 = func1('1')
print test1, test2, test3
#a b c
test1, test2, test3 = func1('2')
print test1, test2, test3
#d e f

To go one step further, you can also assign them to a list, and print as well

print(func1('1'))
print(func1('2'))
#('a', 'b', 'c')
#('d', 'e', 'f')

edited Apr 21, 2019 at 14:22

answered Apr 21, 2019 at 14:08

Devesh Kumar Singh

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Comments

Narcisse Doudieu Siewe · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-21 14:59:11Z

0

in script1.py

T = {'test1':'', 'test2':'', 'test3':''}

def func1(var):

    if var == '1':

        T['test1'] = 'a'
        T['test2'] = 'b'
        T['test3'] = 'c'

    if var == '2':

        T['test1'] = 'd'
        T['test2'] = 'e'
        T['test3'] = 'f'

in script2.py

from script1 import (T, func1)


func1('1')

print T['test3'], T['test2'], T['test1']

func1('2')

print T['test3'], T['test2'], T['test1']

edited Apr 21, 2019 at 14:59

answered Apr 21, 2019 at 14:29

Narcisse Doudieu Siewe

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