Python function does not return the second value

Question

I want the function to return two types of value, string and integer when counting vowels in a word. Upon invoking I'm getting only the y value, but not the x. Can you explain why is this happening?

def cnt_vow(s):
 x = 0
 y = ''
 for char in s:
 if char in 'aeuio':
 y = y + char
 x = x + 1
 return y 
 return x
cnt_vow('hello')

expected: 'eo', 2

was: 'eo'

Answer 1

If you want both, try returning a tuple

return x,y

return always leaves the current function, so code after it will never be executed.

• minerals: yes, it works that way. So the return command just returns the value from the loop without even noticing the second return statement?
• Junuxx: @minerals: Correct. Read return x as 'return x to where I was called, and leave this place now!'

Answer 2

You'll have to use a tuple to return multiple values:

return (y, x)

where the parenthesis are usually optional.

When calling this function, you can then unpack the two values again:

vowels, count = cnt_vow('hello')

Once python sees a return statement the function execution ends, a second statement is never reached.

Answer 3

Once your code hits the first return statement, it returns the specified value immediately.

What you're looking for is:

 return y, x