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3.3: Tuples as Return Values

  • Page ID
    15427
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    Strictly speaking, a function can only return one value, but if the value is a tuple, the effect is the same as returning multiple values. For example, if you want to divide two integers and compute the quotient and remainder, it is inefficient to compute x/y and then x%y. It is better to compute them both at the same time.

    The built-in function divmod takes two arguments and returns a tuple of two values, the quotient and remainder. You can store the result as a tuple:

    >>> t = divmod(7, 3)
    >>> print t
    (2, 1)
    

    Or use tuple assignment to store the elements separately:

    >>> quot, rem = divmod(7, 3)
    >>> print quot
    2
    >>> print rem
    1
    

    Here is an example of a function that returns a tuple:

    def min_max(t):
        return min(t), max(t)
    

    max and min are built-in functions that find the largest and smallest elements of a sequence. min_max computes both and returns a tuple of two values.


    This page titled 3.3: Tuples as Return Values is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Allen B. Downey (Green Tea Press) .

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