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Python Python Collections (2016, retired 2019) Lists Disemvowel

Musashi Schroeder
Musashi Schroeder
4,289 Points
Posted by Musashi Schroeder
Musashi Schroeder
4,289 Points

Curious about the interaction between the return statement and print

I realize the code doesn't work properly because of the list iteration and the way it manipulates it, but I noticed whenever I would return 'word', I would end up getting "whaaat" instead of "what", which should have been the incorrect answer. When I change the print statement to print(disemvowel(word)), it works fine.

Why doesn't calling the function then printing, result in "what"?

disemvowel.py 
def disemvowel(word):
    i = 0
    word_list = list(word)
    while i < len(word_list):
        if word_list[i] == "a":
            del(word_list[i])
        i += 1
    word = "".join(word_list)
    return word

word = "whaaat"
disemvowel(word)
print(word)

2 Answers

KRIS NIKOLAISEN
KRIS NIKOLAISEN
54,968 Points

You need to assign the function to word in order to update word. Try the following:

word = "whaaat"
word = disemvowel(word)
print(word)
Musashi Schroeder
Musashi Schroeder
4,289 Points
Musashi Schroeder
Musashi Schroeder
4,289 Points

Thanks, yeah. Took a break and realized my mistake :/

MoatazBellah Ghobashy
MoatazBellah Ghobashy
9,518 Points
MoatazBellah Ghobashy
MoatazBellah Ghobashy
9,518 Points

It's scope issue, the word variable has declared as a global variable, so you have to override it word = "whaaat" word = disemvowel(word) print(word)

or you can use print the disemvowel function instead of return as the following

def disemvowel(word): i = 0 word_list = list(word) while i < len(word_list): if word_list[i] == "a": del(word_list[i]) i += 1 word = "".join(word_list) print(word)

word = "whaaat" disemvowel(word)