On 28/06/13 14:18, Jim Mooney wrote:
What's the Pythonic standard on multiple returns from a function? It
seems easiest to just return from the point where the function fails
or succeeds, even it that's multiple points. Or is it considered best
to defer everything to one return at the end?
The first. Python functions have one entry point, the top of the function. They
can have multiple exit points, anywhere you have a return statement.
Languages like Pascal enforce a single exit point, which means you end up
writing rubbish code like this:
# Using Python syntax instead of Pascal
def function(arg):
done = False
result = some_calculation(arg)
if condition():
done = True
if not done:
result = more_calculations()
if condition():
done = True
if not done:
result = even_more_calculations()
if condition():
done = True
if not done:
result = are_we_done_yet()
return result
compared to:
def function(arg):
result = some_calculation(arg)
if condition():
return result
result = more_calculations()
if condition():
return result
result = even_more_calculations()
if condition():
return result
return are_we_done_yet()
--
Steven
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