I've got a large function, inside which are nested a few functions, as follows:
def primary(input):
def second():
print "something"
def third():
treasure = "Success!"
print treasure
The third() function defines the treasure variable and prints it. How should I change the scope of this variable so that I can print treasure from the interpreter without having to invoke any functions, but still allowing the functions to access/change it?
You would have to make it a global; local variables in functions are not accessible, nested or otherwise.
Just accessing treasure as a global works just fine:
treasure = "Success!"
def primary(input):
def second():
print "something"
def third():
print treasure
To change treasure within a function scope, declare it a global with the global keyword.
treasure = "Success!"
def primary(input):
def second():
print "something"
def third():
global treasure
treasure = 'changed!'
print treasure
third()
If the function third() add the keyword "global" in front of treasure. This allows other functions to use that variable.
There is another way of doing this, which is defining the var in at the start of the code, this looks much better, and is the way I learned how to do it.
treasure = "Success!"
def second():
print "Something."
def third():
print treasure
third()
Good luck.
global keyword: >>> treasure = "Success!" >>> def fourth(): ... treasure = "Island!" ... >>> fourth() >>> treasure 'Success!'