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Return Values
Return values are the data sent back by a function after it has completed its execution. A function can return any data type, including None (if no explicit return statement is used).
def add(x, y):
"""This function adds two numbers and returns the sum."""
return x + y
result = add(5, 3) # result will be 8
print(result)
def greet(name):
"""This function greets the person passed in as a parameter and returns a string"""
return f"Hello, {name}!"
greeting = greet("Alice") # greeting will be "Hello, Alice!"
print(greeting)
def no_return():
print("This function does not return a value.")
returned_value = no_return() #returned_value will be None
print(returned_value)
Python Functions (link to a note about the general concept of Python Functions) Function Parameters (link to a note about Function Parameters)
The return statement immediately exits the function and sends the specified value back to the caller. If a function doesn’t have a return statement, it implicitly returns None. Multiple return values are possible using Tuples:
def multiple_returns(a, b):
return a, b*2
x, y = multiple_returns(5, 3) # x will be 5, y will be 6
print(x, y)