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3.8: Variables and parameters are local

  • Page ID
    41372
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    When you create a variable inside a function, it is local, which means that it only exists inside the function. For example:

    def cat_twice(part1, part2):
        cat = part1 + part2
        print_twice(cat)
    

    This function takes two arguments, concatenates them, and prints the result twice. Here is an example that uses it:

    >>> line1 = 'Bing tiddle '
    >>> line2 = 'tiddle bang.'
    >>> cat_twice(line1, line2)
    Bing tiddle tiddle bang.
    Bing tiddle tiddle bang.
    

    When cat_twice terminates, the variable cat is destroyed. If we try to print it, we get an exception:

    >>> print(cat)
    NameError: name 'cat' is not defined
    

    Parameters are also local. For example, outside print_twice, there is no such thing as bruce.


    This page titled 3.8: Variables and parameters are local is shared under a CC BY-NC 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Allen B. Downey (Green Tea Press) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

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