All your function definitions should be defined with 'def' at the
leftmost margin.
However, the line in your program that starts with "def
open_existing_file()..." is not flush with the margin. Python has,
subsequently, thought that the definition of the function is scoped
locally. Move the beginning of the definition line "def
open_existing_file()" so that it's not indented.
Conceptually, what's happening is that you've accidentally written a
locally-scoped function definition, which beginner programs do not
typically do. The following program demonstrates:
---------------------------------------------------
def bigFunction():
def nestedFunction():
print("nested")
## at this point forward, nestedFunction can be accessed only
## here:
nestedFunction()
nestedFunction()
## Try calling bigFunction:
bigFunction()
## Try calling nestedFunction (and expect it to fail!)
nestedFunction()
---------------------------------------------------
Try calling bigFunction() from the toplevel. Then try calling
nestedFunction() directly from the toplevel. You'll find that you
can't: the definition of nestedFunction is scoped so that its
accessible only after the point commented.
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