Unable to successfully get a return from a function in python

Question

I'm trying to return a value (spoken audio is successfully transcribed) from the following function:

def takeCommand():
 model = Model("model")
 rec = KaldiRecognizer(model, 16000)
 p = pyaudio.PyAudio()
 stream = p.open(format=pyaudio.paInt16, channels=1, rate=16000, input=True, frames_per_buffer=8000)
 stream.start_stream()
 while True:
 data = stream.read(4000, exception_on_overflow=False)
 if len(data) == 0:
 break
 if rec.AcceptWaveform(data):
 x=json.loads(rec.Result())
 print(x["text"])
 statement = print(x["text"])
 return statement
 
 else:
 #print(rec.PartialResult())
 pass
 
 #print(rec.FinalResult())

I can successfully see the text being transcribed through

print(x["text"])

However, return is giving me a NoneType error, as follows:

Traceback (most recent call last):
 File "jarvis_vosk.py", line 116, in <module>
 if "thank you" in statement or "ok bye" in statement or "stop" in statement:
TypeError: argument of type 'NoneType' is not iterable

So the function takeCommand() is empty and I can't understand why the return value isn't being passed on?

Your assistance it greatly appreciated!!

Answer 1

Here is the problem:

statement = print(x["text"])
return statement

You can try this :)

statement = x["text"]
return statement

Or just

return x["text"]

Answer 2

Solved it... i just needed to change

statement = print(x["text"])

to take account of the statement being a string.... and not just printing it:

statement = str(x["text"])