Python return list not working for some reason

ElioChuk 0
Viewed 26

I've been trying to work on this assignment but for some reason the function I wrote won't return the list I specified and throws a name 'numbers' is not defined error at me when printing the list outside the function.

def inputNumbers():
    try:
        initial_number_input = int(input("Please enter the first number: "))
    except ValueError:
        print("This is not a number.")
        return inputNumbers()
    else:
        numbers = []
        numbers.append(initial_number_input)
        if initial_number_input == 0:
            return numbers
        else:
            i = 0
            while True:
                try:
                    number_input = int(input("Please enter the next number: "))
                except ValueError:
                    print("This is not a number.")
                    continue
                else:
                    numbers.append(number_input)
                    i += 1
                    if number_input == 0:
                        break
            return numbers

inputNumbers()
print(numbers)

I'm still very new to programming so I am open to whatever suggestions you may have :D

Note that if I print(numbers) above return numbers at the end of the function, it does print the list.

Thanks

error-handling python
2 Answers

When you return a value from a function it needs to be assigned to something. At the moment you are returning numbers but nothing is using it.

To actually use the returned value your last 2 lines should be

numbers = inputNumbers()
print(numbers)

You can also just print the returned value without assigning it to a variable with

print(inputNumbers())
usermZwt0

you are printing print(numbers) outside the function inputNumbers(). if you want to go like this then you should assign the returned value from function like this

numbers = inputNumbers()
print(numbers)

or you just print the value instead of returning from the function

Micky Rajkumar0
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