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Python

Posted by Kyle McCullen
Kyle McCullen
16,639 Points

Returning function call vs just calling the function

I am taking the python functional programming course. In the functions.py file there is a function as follows . . .

def log_and_run(func):
    print("I just got {}".format(func.__name__))
    return func()

I would like to know the difference in returning a function call at the end of a function, and just calling the function like below . . 

def log_and_run(func):
    print("I just got {}".format(func.__name__))
    func()

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
230,274 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
230,274 Points

In both examples the function "func" will run, but in the first example any value returned by "func" will then also be returned by "log_and_run" to the code that called it.

In the second example, "log_and_run" does not return any value, and anything that "func" might have returned is lost.

Kyle McCullen
Kyle McCullen
16,639 Points

Okay I see now thanks! It was not clear in the example from the video because the function used did not have a return value.