Return multiple dictionaries from the function in Python

Question

I am trying to understand how I can return several dictionaries from a function. If I print out data_dict in the function itself, I get five dictionaries. If data_dict will be returned from the function, stored in a variable and then printed out, only the last dictionary will be shown. How can all five dictionaries be returned?

import requests
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
import re
import json

source = requests.get('https://www.tripadvisor.ch/Hotel_Review-g188113-d228146-Reviews-Coronado_Hotel-Zurich.html#REVIEWS').text

soup = BeautifulSoup(source, 'lxml')

pattern = re.compile(r'window.__WEB_CONTEXT__={pageManifest:(\{.*\})};')
script = soup.find("script", text=pattern)
dictData = pattern.search(script.text).group(1)
jsonData = json.loads(dictData)


def get_reviews():

    data_dict = {}
    for locations in jsonData['urqlCache']['669061039']['data']['locations']:
        for data in locations['reviewListPage']['reviews']:
            data_dict['reviewid'] = data['id']
            data_dict['authoridtripadvisor'] = data['userId']
            userProfile = data['userProfile']
            data_dict['author'] = userProfile['displayName']    
            print(data_dict)
    #return data_dict

reviews = get_reviews()
print(reviews)

Thank you for all suggestions!

your proble is that in data_dict you can keep only one dictionary. You would have to create list for all dictionares and append() every dictionary to this list, and return this list of dictionares. — furas
– furas, Commented Dec 30, 2019 at 23:33

furas · Accepted Answer · 2019-12-30 23:48:18Z

Your problem is that in data_dict you can keep only one dictionary.

You have to create list for all dictionares

all_dictionaries = []

and append() every dictionary to this list

all_dictionaries.append(data_dict)

and return this list

return all_dictionaries

And inside for-loop you have to create new dictionary for new data. You can't use one data_dict and replace elements in this dictionary.

def get_reviews():

    all_dictionaries = []

    for locations in jsonData['urqlCache']['669061039']['data']['locations']:
        for data in locations['reviewListPage']['reviews']:

            data_dict = {}

            data_dict['reviewid'] = data['id']
            data_dict['authoridtripadvisor'] = data['userId']
            userProfile = data['userProfile']
            data_dict['author'] = userProfile['displayName']    
            print(data_dict)

            all_dictionaries.append(data_dict)

    return all_dictionaries

kingkupps · Accepted Answer · 2019-12-30 23:37:45Z

2

EDIT: See @Furas's answer but pretty much the same thing (didn't see the other answer before hitting submit)

If you know the number of dictionaries you want to return ahead of time, you can return them like this:

def get_reviews():
    # ...
    return dict1, dict2, dict3

and then use the result like this:

d1, d2, d3 = get_reviews()

but if you want to return an arbitrary number of results back you should return a list containing all of your dictionaries:

import requests
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
import re
import json

source = requests.get('https://www.tripadvisor.ch/Hotel_Review-g188113-d228146-Reviews-Coronado_Hotel-Zurich.html#REVIEWS').text

soup = BeautifulSoup(source, 'lxml')

pattern = re.compile(r'window.__WEB_CONTEXT__={pageManifest:(\{.*\})};')
script = soup.find("script", text=pattern)
dictData = pattern.search(script.text).group(1)
jsonData = json.loads(dictData)


def get_reviews():
    data = []
    for locations in jsonData['urqlCache']['669061039']['data']['locations']:
        for data in locations['reviewListPage']['reviews']:
            data.append({
                'reviewid': data['id'],
                'authoridtripadvisor': data['userId'],
                'author': data['userProfile']['displayName'] 
            })

    return data

reviews = get_reviews()
print(reviews)

answered Dec 30, 2019 at 23:37

kingkupps

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1 Comment

furas Over a year ago

sometimes it happen to me too - I press submit and then I see other answers or comments :) We have little different code and it can be useful.

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