Python return statement

Introduction

The Python return statement is used to return a value from a function. The user can only use the return statement in a function. It cannot be used outside of the Python function. A return statement includes the return keyword and the value that will be returned after that.

Syntax of return statement:

def funtion_name():
statements
.
.
.
return [expression]

Program 1

def adding(x, y):
    i = x + y
    return i
result = adding(16, 25)
print(f'Output of adding(16, 25) function is {result}')

Output

Program 2

def adding(a, b):
	# this function is return the value of (a + b)
	return a + b
def boolean_function(a):
	# this function is return the Boolean value
	return bool(a)
# calling function
flag = adding(2, 3)
print("Output of first function is {}".format(flag))
flag = boolean_function(9 < 5)
print("\nOutput of second function is {}".format(flag))

Output.

Returning Multiple Values

In the Python programming language, a user can return multiple values from a function. The following are the various methods for this.

1. Using Object: This method is similar to C / C ++ and Java. A user can create a class to hold multiple values in a function and return an object of that class.

class a:
	def __init__(self):
		self.omg = "javatpoint is the best website to learn"
		self.i = 122
# This function will return an object of the class a
def test():
	return a()
# Driver code to test the above method
z = test()
print(z.omg)
print(z.i)

Output

2. Using Tuple: The tuple is similar to a list, but there is a slight difference between tuple and list. In the tuple, the object values cannot be changed, while the object value can be changed in the list.

def test():
	omg = "javatpoint is the best website to learn"
	i = 122
	return omg, i; 
    # Return tuple, we could also.	
# Driver code to test the above method.
omg, i = test() 
# Assign return tuple
print(omg)
print(i)

Output

3. Using list: The list is similar to the dynamically sized array. In the list, the user can store everything in a single variable.

def test():
	omg = "javatpoint"
	i = 122
	return [omg, i];
# Driver code to test the above method
list = test()
print(list)

Output

4. Using dictionary: In the Python language, a dictionary is a collection of unstructured items that are used to store data values such as hash or map.

def test():
	a = dict();
	a['omg'] = "javatpoint"
	a['i'] = 122
	return a	
# Driver code to test the above method
a = test()
print(a)

Output

5. Using Data Class (Python 3.7+)

from dataclasses import dataclass
@dataclass
class Book_list:
	bookname: str
	cost: float
	quantity_of_book_available: int = 0		
	# This function is used to calculate the total cost of the books	
	def total_cost_of_book(self) -> float:
		return self.cost * self.quantity_of_book_available       
book = Book_list("Python programming language.", 499, 10)
i = book.total_cost_of_book()
# print the total cost
print(i)
# print the details of the book
print(book)

Output

Function returning another function

In the Python programming language, a function is in the form of an object. Therefore, the user can return a function from another function.

In the below program, The first_add function returns the second_add function.

def first_add(x):
	def second_add(y):
		return x + y
	return second_add
i = first_add(20)
print("The value of x + y is", i(10))
# second function
def outer_func(x):
	return x * 5
def func():
	# return the value in the different function
	return outer_func
# storing the function in z
z = func()
print("\nThe value of x * y is", z(10))

Output