Variables inside and ouside a function in Python?

Question

I would like to know how can I set a variable inside a function (or change it's value) and then use it outside the function.

Answer 1

Thank you very much for your answers, explanations and examples. You helped me a lot!!

Answer 2

you can't get viariables defined inside a function, if you don't return it.
If you set a variable inside a function, they only exist inside the function.

You can modify them if they are defined outside.

You can return a list/array if you want more than 1 variable.

Answer 3

def something():
z=2
global z
return (z+4)

global makes it global not local.

Answer 4

"I would like to know how can I set a variable inside a function (or change it's value) and then use it outside the function."

Here's an example:

x = 0
def myFunc(num):
num = num + 5
return num

x = myFunc(x)
print(x)

I'll do a step by step of what I just did:

>python, set the variable "x" to "0"
>python, create a new function called "myFunc" that accepts one input named "num"
>python, set the variable "num" to equal the current value of "num" and add "5"
>python, return to the outside: the value of "num"
>python, run the function called "myFunc", use the variable "x" as input. Then whatever output the function sends back, place it inside the variable "x"
>python, print the value of "x"

This is an example of giving a function a value, and the function returning a new/changed value back that you can later use.

Answer 5

A function has its own space ("namespace") in terms of variable names living there, and the interpreter should look outside in the enclosing context if it encounters a name that is not defined. However, I've seen that this does not always work, and find it often best to declare variables in the module and refer to those in a function using the global (+var name) keyword right after the function header. You can also use the nonlocal keyword for referring to a variable name just one namespace up.

Answer 6

Just do as you do elsewhere